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^^  PRINCETON.  N.  J.  ^ 


Library  of  Dr.  A.  A.  Hodge.      Presented. 


BV  4501  .L438  1868 

Levington,  John, 

Power  with  God  and  with  men 


POWER  AYITH  GOD 


AND 


^WITHI    IVCEINT 


BY 


REV.  JOHN  LEVINGTON. 


But  ye  shall  receive  power  after  the  llolj'  Ghost  is  come  upon  you. — 
Acts  i,  8. 

But  the  Comforter,  the  Holy  Ghost,  whom  the  Fallier  will  send  in 
my  name,  he  shall  teach  you  all  things. — John  xiv,  2fi. 

And  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  began  to  speak, 
with  other  tongues,  as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance.— Acts  ii,  -1. 

But  unto  them  which  are  called,  both  Jews  and  Greeks,  Christ  tlie 
power  of  God,  and  the  wisdom  of  God.— 1  Cor.  i,  24. 

And  Jesus  came  and  spake  unto  them,  sayirig,  All  power  is  given 
unto  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth.  Go  ye  therefore,  .te.— Matt,  xxviii,  IS, 


raiL. ^.DELPHI  A : 

METHODIST  BOOK  ROOM,  No.   1018  ARCH  STREET. 
S.  W.  THOMAS,  Agent. 

1868. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congreps,  in  the  year  1868,  by  Rev.  JOHN 
LEVINGTON,  in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  East- 
ern District  of  Pennsylvania. 


Stereotyped  and  Printed  by  Mi-;R,RTEiKW  &  Ron,  213  Arch  st.,  Philada. 


COH'TEE'TS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

On  power  in  general.  Power  can  only  be  discovered  ia  the 
phenomena,  or  facts,  resulting  therefrom — The  existence  of  the 
power  is  as  certain  as  is  the  existence  of  the  phenomena  re- 
sulting therefrom — In  every  system  there  must  be  a  grand 
central  power,  or  primary  cause  of  motion — The  way  to  dis- 
cover where  and  what  this  power  is — Various  conjectures  as 
to  what  the  peculiar  power  of  Methodism  is,  are  shown  to  be 
unsatisfactory — The  advantages  of  knowing  what,  and  where, 
this  peculiar  power  is — The  advantages  of  the  method  here 
adopted  for  that  purpose— Sources  from  which  facts  shall  be 
taken  in  support  of  the  position — The  grand  errors  which 
exclude  the  conditions  of  this  power  shall  be  exposed,    ...     15 

CHAPTER  II. 

Facts  of  Methodist  history  down  to  the  conversion  of  John 
and  Charles  Wesley — The  poetry  of  Samuel  Wesley  and  his 
sons — Mrs.  Wesley's  Academy — Her  method  of  teaching,  and 
its  results — The  burning  of  the  Rectory  and  the  narrow  escape 
of  John — The  three  sons  sent  to  higher  schools,  and  John  and 
Charles  finally  to  Oxford — The  society  at  Oxford  called  the 
"  Holy  Club" — The  voyage  of  John  and  Charles  to  America, 
and  their  labors  there — Their  return  to  England — Very  inter- 
resting  particulars — The  first  and  many  succeeding  interviews 
with  Peter  Bohler — A  minute  account  of  their  convictions  and 
painful  struggles ;  and,  finally,  of  their  conversion — The  pecu- 
liar power  is  obtained,  and  begins  to  manifest  itself,  .     .     .     •  a,22 

3 


4  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  III. 

Whitefield's  Conversion — His  first  Sermon  and  its  effects — Pro- 
vidential preparations  for  the  develojiment  of  the  power — 
Whitefield  in  America,  J.  Wesley  in  Germany,  and  Charles 
"Wesley  in  England — They  again  meet  in  London,  and  with 
about  sixty  other  persons  have  a  Lovefeast,  and  a  baptism  of 
the  Spirit — Wonderful  developments  of  the  power  in  London 
and  Bristol— The  first  Circuit— The  first  Methodist  Church- 
Numerous  incidents,  extraordinary  and  interesting — The  new 
way  works  so  weh  the  old  parish  plan  is  abandoned — John 
Wesley  claims  the  world  for  his  parish — Summing  up — The 
conditions  of  power  are  specified  in  nine  particulars — The 
sum;  doctrine,  experience,  and  practice.  These  particulars 
are  not  peculiar  to  the  minister ;  they  are  essential  to  the 
Christian  character — An  interesting  sketch  of  the  life  of  John 
Nelson  is  given  in  support  of  the  argument.  For  the  same 
purpose,  facts  are  now  adduced  from  the  experience  of  Luther 
and  the  history  of  his  times — Finally,  facts  are  adduced  from 
Apostolic  times — Paul's  experience  is  shown  to  be  essentially 
one  with  those  previously  given, 64 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Between  the  position  specified,  and  that  of  the  Pharisee,  there 
is  no  medium — Pharisees,  Sadducees,  and  Herodians,'are  pre- 
sented in  Scripture  as  representative  classes  of  character,  and 
are,  as  they  ever  have  been,  the  grand  enemies  of  Christi- 
anity— Pharisaism  is  fully  investigated,  by  reference  to  Scrip- 
ture and  History — The  principle  upon  which  Pharisaism  rests, 
is  that  of  human  merit;  that  upon  which  Christianity  rests,  is 
grace  coming  through  the  merit  of  the  atonenent — All  who  seek 
at  all,  rest  their  expectations  upon  one  of  these  two  principles 
— Grace  &nd  faith  go  together,  as  do  merit  and  works — Phari- 
saism embraces  a  great  variety  of  characters,  but  they  all  rest 
upon  the  same  principle,  viz:  merit;  hence  the  appeal  is  to 
naked  justice :  while  the  Christian  rests  upon  the  atonement 
and  expects  all  of  viere  grace — The  Pharisee  and  the  Publican 
are  presented  as  the  representatives  of  the  two  systems — Sal- 
vation by  works  was,  and  is,  an  eternal  impossibility — The 
transition  from  Pharisaism  to  Sadducism  is  easy  and  frequent, 
j^nd,  to  some  extent,  inevitable — Sadducean  history  fully  ex- 


CONTENTS.  5 

amined,  and  Sadducean  character,  ancient  and  modern,  care- 
fully delineated ;  and  its  evil  tendencies  exposed — It  is  not 
possible  for  those  who  think,  to  rest  in  Pharisaism;  hence, 
those  who  think,  either  fall  back  upon  Bible  truth,  or  pass 
to  Sadducism,  and  thence  to  all  kinds  of  skepticism — An 
interesting  account  and  thrilling  description  of  Herodians, 
ancient  and  modern — These  three  systems  concentrated,  and 
formed  that  horrible  thing  called  Popery — How  saved  from  all 
these  errors, 134 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Nature,  and  Necessity,  of  Christian  Progression. 

In  support  of  this  proposition  the  unchangeableness  of  God,  and 
the  essential  activity  of  mind  are  referred  to — Progression  or 
retrogression  inevitable — The  word  progress  furnishes  Bunyan 
with  both  the  title  and  theme  of  his  remarkable  book — This 
idea  runs  through  all  the  teachings  of  the  bible — Many  authors 
are  quoted  in  support  of  this  proposition,  and  many  arguments 
advanced — Many  illustrations  are  given,  together  with  criti- 
cisms on  the  original, l'i'5 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Nature  of  Christian  progression — Meaning  of  the  word  apzr^v, 
corn-age.  The  command  and  promise  of  God  are  essential  to 
Christian  courage,  and  this  courage  is  essential  to  Christian 
progression — Interesting  examples  are  given,  as  Daniel  and 
his  three  companions;  and  David  slaying  Goliath;  Luther, 
also,  and  many  other  men  of  courage  are  noticed — This  cour- 
age can  only  exist  in  connection  with  Christian  faith — It  does 
not  precede,  but  results  from  faith — Faith  and  courage  are 
specially  necessary  for  the  work  of  the  minister  of  Jesus,  .     .  195 

CHAPTER  VIL 

Add  knowledge — This  is  essential  to  the  development  of  the  pre- 
ceding graces — How  these  graces  mutually  increase  each  other 
— Luther,  Zwingle  and  others,  are  pi-oduced  as  examples — 
Consequences  of  not  adding  knowledge-  as  specified,  specially 
in  the  case  of  Ministers, 221 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

Add  temperance.  Erroneous  views  exposed,  and  the  meaning  of 
the  word  .Eyvparcta  given — Christian  temperance  is  dwelt  upon 
at  great  length,  and  its  nature  and  extent  specified  —  Mr. 
Wesley's  definition  and  views  of  temperance  —  Scripture 
teachings  on  this  subject — Erroneous  views  farther  exposed — 
Defects  of  modern  temperance  lectures,  and  temperance  move- 
ments— It  was  by  not  adding  temperance  that  Solomon  and 
multitudes  of  others  were  ruined — It  was  by  not  adding  tem- 
perance that  the  primitive  churches  were  ruined,  and  the  dai'k 
ages  brought  on — The  activity  essential  to  the  Christian  char- 
acter will  lead  to  ruin  if  temperance  does  not  keep  pace  with  it,  231 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Add  patience.  This  is  shown  to  be  absolutely  necessary  to 
Christian  progress :  for,  the  more  Christian  activities  abound, 
the  more  is  patience  rendered  necessary — The  peculiar  work 
of  patience  at  diiFerent  periods  in  the  Christian  life — No  other 
grace  can  take  its  place  and  do  its  work — Sometimes  one  grace 
must  take  the  lead,  -sometimes  another — Judgment  must  lead 
up  first  one,  and  then  another,  according  to  circumstances;  as 
an  experienced  General  will  lead  up  to  the  front  first  one  divi- 
sion, and  then  another,  according  to  the  necessities  of  the  oc- 
casion— Meaning  of  the  word  virofiEvoi  is  given — It  always 
springs  from,  and  is  supported  by  faith,  as  are  all  the  Chris- 
tian graces — It  is  distinguished  from  stoicism,  and  from  the 
natural  power  of  endurance  as  seen  in  the  camel  or  the  ox,     .  252 

CHAPTER  X. 

Add  Godliness.  Both  action,  and  inaction,  may  result  cither 
from  knowledge  or  ignorance.  Hence,  there  may  be  some- 
thing very  like  courage,  or  patience,  when  there  is  no  Godli- 
ness— Godliness  results  from  a  knowledge  of  God,  and  faith  in 
God — Godliness  consists  in  doing  and  suffering  in  the  spirit 
of  devo.tion  to  God.  In  other  words,  doing  because  God  has 
commanded,  or  not  doing,  because  he  has  forbidden — Calmet's 
definition  of  Godliness — Godliness  in  practice,  is  to  imitate 
God  in  every  thing — Godliness  in  character,  is  to  be  like  God 
— svffs/Seta  always,  has  reference  to  God — Parkhurst  is  quoted — 


CONTENTS.  7 

No  act  can  be  acceptable  to  God  that  is  not  Godly ;  various 
arguments  are  employed  to  prove  tbis;  also,  to  show  the  neces-^ 
sity  of  adding  Godliness  just  here, 263 

CHAPTER  XL 

Add  brotherly  kindness.  Your  duty  to  God  will  not  substitute  for 
your  duty  to  your  brother — God  will  not  allow  the  creature  to 
take  his  place,  nor  will  he  take  the  place  of  the  creature — Love 
is  varied  both  by  its  subject  and  object — God  will  not  accept 
your  gifts,  if  you  have  no  gift  for  your  brother — He  who 
loveth  God,  loveth  his  brother  also — He  hates  who  does  not 
love — Both  the  subject  and  object  of  this  love  must  be  a  brother 
— The  difference  between  kindness  and  brotherly  kindness — A 
striking  illustration — God  alone  can  make  a  brotherhood,  men 
may  assume,  or  give  the  name,  but  they  cannot  impart  what 
that  name  imports — Each  preceding  grace  is  essential  to  that 
which  follows — This  order  must  not  be  broken;  to  progress, 
you  must  make  each  addition  in  its  place,     . 270 

CHAPTER  XIL 
Add  Love,  which  takes  a  much  wider  range  than  brotherly  kind- 
ness. How  Peter  was  led  to  make  this  addition,  and  how  his 
other  graces  were  increased  thereby — Had  he  not  made  this 
addition  here,  he  would  have  progressed  no  further,  but  would 
have  backslidden,  as  many  do  just  at  this  point — A  striking 
resemblance  between  Peter  and  John  Wesley  at  this  point — 
How  they  and  others  continued  to  be  a  power,  while  others 
ceased  to  be  a  power — There  is  nothing  that  will  substitute  for 
this  love — A  striking  incident  in  illustration — The  addition  of 
love  is  shown  to  be  absolutely  necessary, 282 

CHAPTER  XIIL 
All  "these  things"  are  to  be  "in  you,"  and  are  the  fruit  of  the 
Spirit  —  The  grand  distinction  between  a  Christian  and  a 
Pharisee — They  are  all  of  grace,  yet  not  without  the  willing 
co-operation  of  the  subject — All  these  things  being  in  you,  " 
they  are  to  abound — Between  this  and  retrogression  there  is 
no  medium — Meaning  of  the  words  apyovi,  and  aKapzovs — 
These  things  being  in  you  and  abounding,  you  cannot  possibly 
be  inactive,  and  the  action  is  of  such  a  nature  that  fruitfulness 


8  CONTENTS. 

must  be  the  result — This  action  is  irresistible,  bidding  defiance 
tt>  every  opposing  power — Hence  all  such  Christians  progress, 
and  are  a  power — Idleness,  inaction,  or  slothfulness,  must  re- 
sult from  a  want  of  faith,  courage,  or  love — Faith,  courage,  and 
love  are  the  great  moving  powers ;  those  who  have  them  are 
ready  for  every  good  work,  making  tents  like  Paul ;  or,  like 
Jesus,  preparing  a  breakfast  for  the  hungry  disciples  by  the 
sea-shore,  when  necessary — A  country  inhabited  by  such  a 
people  must  be  prosperous — All  this  is  confirmed  by  the  facts 
of  history — A  point  of  great  importance — The  Apostle  con- 
nects all  with  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ — A  man 
may  be  idle  and  unfruitful  in  the  knowledge  of  Plato,  Socrates, 
and  other  men  of  fame,  but  not  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ — To  have  life  and  power,  we  must  be  connected 
with  Jesus  in  the  way  specified  by  the  Apostle,  for  no  other 
being  has  either  life  or  power  to  give  to  man, 293 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

To  make  the  additions  here  specified,  we  must  give  all  diligence, 
"these  things"  do  not  come  by  chance — Having  shown  the  con- 
sequences of  making  these  additions;  and  abounding,  we  are 
now  shown  the  awful  consequences  of  not  doing  so — All  this 
is  addressed  to  them  that  have  obtained  Apostolic  faith — The 
distinctive  characteristics  of  those  who  do,  and  of  those  who 
do  not,  make  these  additions — Some  thoughts  with  regard  to 
those  who  have  backslidden  as  here  stated — The  infallibility 
of  those  who  "  do  these  things," 311 

CHAPTER  XV. 
The  final  result  of  the  progression — An  "abundant  entrance 
into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ" — These  wonderful  words  and  thoughts  could  only 
come  to  us  by  inspiration — An  attempt  to  explain  the  word 
jrXvo-iwf — The  question,  shall  all  who  finally  reach  heaven, 
have  this  ahundant  entrance  ministered  unto  them,  is  exam- 
ined, and  answered  in  the  negative — It  is  again  shown  why 
some  are  a  power,  while  others  are  not — Even  for  the  same 
reason  that  the  glorified  shine  as  stars  of  difi"erent  magnitudes 
— The  word  of  God  holds  out  no  encourgement,  no  reward,  to 
idleness^ 321 


INTEODUOTIOE". 


The  author  has  long  been  convinced  that  if  we  would 
reason  correctly,  and  order  our  affairs  with  discretion, 
we  must  make  a  good  use  of  facts.  It  was  by  care- 
fully and  frequently  considering  the  following  facts 
that  he  was  led  to  write  what  is  contained  in  the 
following  pages.  There  have  been  men  and  churches  of 
poiver,  ivhile  other  men  and  churches  ivere  powerless; 
and  men  and  churches  who  were  once  a  j^ower,  have  ceased 
to  be  a  power ;  and  some  of  the  latter  have  again  become 
a  power.  These,  we  think,  are  facts  which  will  not  be 
dis23uted.  Meditating  upon  these  facts,  and  upon  the 
interests  involved,  he  became  deeply  convinced  that  a 
satisfactory  solution  of  these  facts  would  result  in  much 
good,  especially  when  he  considered  the  various  and 
dangerous  opinions  which  sometimes  are  entertained 
with  regard  to  them.  Nor  was  it  long  till  he  became 
convinced  that  these  interesting  phenomena  might  be 
satisfactorily  accounted  for ;  nor  was  he  less  convinced 
that  Scripture,  experience,  and  the  facts  of  history  fur- 
(9) 


10  INTRODUCTORY  REMARKS. 

nish  ample  material  for  this  purpose ;  and  it  is  from 
these  rich  mines  of  truth  and  fact  that  he  has  gathered 
material  for  the  purpose  here  specified. 

The  power  sought  is  that  which  in  Scripture  is 
called  "  Power  with  God  and  with  men,"  and  which, 
occasionally,  we  have  denominated  the  peculiar  power. 
This  Scripture  suggests  the  grand  ideas  sought.  He 
who  would  have  power  with  man,  for  good,  must  first 
have  power  with  God.  It  was  to  this  end  that  God 
our  Saviour  became  incarnate, —  Emma^iiiel,  "  God 
with  us."  To  obtain  this  power  with  God  we  must 
take  hold  of  this  Saviour,  this  Emmanuel,  by  praying 
faith,  as  Jacob  did.  Then,  and  not  till  then,  will  it  be 
true  of  us,  as  it  was  of  Jacob, — "  As  a  prince  hast  thou 
power  with  God,  and  with  men,  and  hast  prevailed." 
This  passage  is  singularly  suggestive  of  the  fundamental 
doctrines  of  the  Christian  system,  and  of  the  secret  of 
Christian  power.  In  this  way  the  perishing  sinner  be- 
comes 2i  prince,  has  power  with  God  and  with  men,  and 
prevails.  Speaking  of  wrestling  Jacob,  Hosea  says, 
"He  wept  and  made  supplication  unto  him."  In  this 
way  Ja-cob  obtained  the  power  ;  and  who  ever  obtained 
it  in  any  other  way  ?  Hence  the  name  given  to  Jacob 
on  this  occasion  is  applied  to  all  the  people  of  God, 
because  they  all  ivrestle,  obtain  the  poiver,  and  prevail  in 
the  same  ivay  that  Jacob  did. 


INTRODUCTORY   REMARKS.  11 

Guided  as  here  stated,  the  author  claims  to  have 
shown  how  this  power  is  obtaitied,  retained,  increasedy 
lost,  rega'med.  The  chapters  on  Christian  progression, 
more  especially,  show  how  it  is  retained  and  increased. 
And  as  men  fail  to  obtain  this  power  by  falling  into 
certain  errors,  which  errors  are  opposed  to  the  great 
principles  which  are  essential  to  this  power,  he  has  ex- 
posed and  refuted  those  errors,  so  that  all  may  know 
and  avoid  them. 

Although  the  subject  here  discussed  takes  a  very 
wide  range,  and  is  of  the  most  vital  importance,  the 
author  has  not  found  it  necessary  to  give  prominence 
to  denominational  peculiarities  ;  and  this  fact  has  not 
only  given  him  pleasure,  but  also  much  hope  with  re- 
gard to  the  extended  usefulness  of  the  book.  It  will 
be  seen  that  the  facts  which  were  considered  necessary 
for  his  purpose  are  taken  from  the  histories  of  the 
three  great  reformations, — viz.,  those  of  the  first,  six- 
teenth, and  eighteenth  centuries;  by  which  the  men 
and  principles  of  power  are  seen  to  act  in  places,  and 
times,  widely  apart.  And  the  principles  which  are 
claimed  to  be  essential  to  this  power  are  found  in  the 
different  orthodox  creeds  ;  hence,  if  those  denominations 
(the  Methodist  included)  have  not  the  power  specified, 
it  is  because  they  do  not  make  a  good  use  of  their  own 
principles.      It  follows,  that  both  the  nature  of  the 


12  INTRODUCTORY   REMARKS. 

subject,  and  the  way  in  which  it  is  discussed,  make 
this  a  book  for  all ;  for  while  fundamental  truths  are 
explained,  defended,  and  enforced,  there  is  nothing,  we 
think,  that  is  at  all  calculated  to  give  offence  to  any- 
Christian  denomination.  True,  Pharisaism  and  kindred 
errors  are  exposed  and  rejected  with  much  earnestness, 
but  surely  the  advocates  of  such  errors  have  no  claim 
to  orthodoxy ;  nor  dare  we  either  fear  or  flatter  them. 
Indeed,  he  is  their  best  friend  who  deals  most  faith- 
fully with  their  errors.  It  is  also  true  that  the  author 
has  quoted  largely  from  the  history  of  the  reformation 
in  which  the  Wesleys  and  "VVhitefield  w^ere  prominent 
actors ;  but  he  did  so  for  obvious  reasons,  one  of  which 
is,  he  is  specially  anxious  to  hold  his  own  denomination 
to  first  principles.  Moreover,  he  has  drawn  from  other 
sources  a  sufficient  amount  of  material  to  show  that 
the  principles  and  power  sought  are  found  in  different 
ages,  and  in  the  different  orthodox  denominations.  In 
this  way  he  has  endeavored  to  hold  other  denomina- 
tions, as  well  as  his  own,  to  first  principles. 

Finally,  the  author  begs  to  apprise  the  reader  that, 
in  the  composition  of  the  following  pages,  he  has  made 
no  effort  to  please  a  certain  taste,  by  a  mere  jingle  of 
words.  On  the  contrary,  he  has  simply  aimed  at  ex- 
pressing useful  thoughts,  in  suitable  w^ords.  Indeed, 
he  has  been  careful  to  avoid  what  are  called  big  words, 


INTRODUCTORY   REMARKS.  13 

and  every  other  thing  that  seemed  calculated  to  en- 
feeble the  noble  language  of  his  fathers.  True,  in 
quoting  the  Scriptures,  he  has  occasionally  appealed  to 
the  original,  but  he  has  done  so  for  reasons  which,  it  is 
believed,  will  appear  obvious  to  the  thoughtful  reader. 
And  now  he  commits  his  little  work  to  the  care  and 
disposal  of  Providence,  praying  that  it  may  be  made  a 
blessing  to  the  children  of  men,  "so  long  as  the  moon 
endureth." 

JOHN  LEVINGTON. 
February  14,  1868. 


CHAPTER  I. 

On  power  in  general.  Power  can  only  be  discovered  in  the 
phenomena^  or  facts,  resulting  therefrom — The  existence  of 
the  power  is  as  certain  as  is  the  existence  of  the  phenomena 
resulting  therefrom — In  every  system  there  must  be  a  grand 
central  power,  or  primary  cause  of  motion — The  way  to  dis- 
cover where  and  what  this  power  is — Various  conjectures  as 
to  what  the  peculiar  power  of  Methodism  is,  are  shown  to  be 
unsatisfactory — The  advantages  of  knowing  what,  and  where, 
this  peculiar  power  is — The  advantages  of  the  method  here 
adopted  for  that  purpose — Sources  from  which  facts  shall  be 
taken  in  support  of  the  position — The  grand  errors  which 
exclude  the  conditions  of  this  power  shall  be  exposed. 

This  peculiar  power,  and  the  tacts  resulting  there- 
from, sustain  the  relation  of  cause  and  effect.  Hence 
the  existence  of  the  power  is  as  certain  as  the  existence 
of  the  facts.  It  is  not  more  certain  that  the  motions 
of  the  heavenly  bodies  result  from  an  adequate  power, 
than  it  is  that  the  facts  of  Methodist  history  result  from 
an  adequate  power.  When  I  turn  my  eyes  to  the 
stellar  systems,  and  behold  the  velocity  with  which 
those  huge  bodies  move,  I  instantly  conclude  that  there 
must  be  a  power  somewhere,  a  power  adequate  to  the 
wonderful  phenomena  upon  which  I  gaze,  and  which 
are  evidently  so  many  effects  resulting  from  a  given 
(15) 


16       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

cause.  In  like  manner,  when  I  turn  to  tlie  facts  of 
Methodist  history,  I  as  readily  conclude,  there  must  be  a 
power  somewhere,  a  power  adequate  to  the  wonderful 
2:)henomena  which  I  here  behold,  and  which  are  as 
evideiltly  so  many  effects  resulting  from  an  adequate 
cause.  But,  as  there  is  something  peculiar  in  the  facts 
of  Methodist  history,  there  must  also  be  something 
peculiar  in  their  cause,  for  the  power,  and  the  facts 
resulting  therefrom,  sustain  the  relation  of  cause  and 
effect,  so  that  the  peculiarity  discoverable  in  the  facts 
must  result  from  a  corresponding  peculiarity  in  the 
cause.  The  peculiarity  of  this  power,  which  gives 
character  to  the  effects  resulting  therefrom,  may  consist 
in  the  degree  of  intensity,  rather  than  in  an  essential 
difference  of  nature;  but  our  special  object  just  now  is 
to  discover  this  peculiar  power.  And  we  are  the  more 
anxious  to  do  so,  first,  because  we  think  it  is  not 
generally  apprehended  with  much  clearness,  to  say  the 
very  least;  second,  because  we  think  a  clear  appre- 
hension of  this  peculiar  power  would  lead  many  more 
to  seek  and  obtain  it.  We  say  the  peculiar  power  of 
Methodism,  because,  although  power  may  be  discovered 
in  all  the  departments  of  the  system,  and  in  every 
particular  that  legitimately  belongs  to  it,  it  is  not  in 
every  particular  that  ih.Q  peculiar  power  \^  to  be  dis- 
covered, though  it  extends  to  all. 

In  every  system  there  is,  and  must  be,  a  grand 
central  power,  or  primary  cause  of  motion.  For 
instance,  I  look  at  my  watch,  and  I  at  once  see  that 
the  hands  move,  and  at  once  I  am  convinced  that 
there  is  power  somewhere ;  but  it  is  not  in  the  hands, 
though  it  extends  to  them.     I  now  open  this  wonderful 


REFOPvMATIOX    OF    EIGHTEEXTII    CENTURY.         17 

piece  of  mechanism  and  I  discover  the  motions  of  the 
balance-wheel,  but  neither  is  the  power  in  this  particu- 
lar, though  it  extends  to  it.  I  now  approach  still 
nearer  to  the  centre,  and  I  discover  a  number  of 
wheels  of  different  sizes,  and  all  in  motion,  though 
their  motions  vary,  some  of  them  moving  faster,  some 
slower ;  but  neither  is  the  power  in  any  one  of  these 
wheels,  though  it  extends  to  them  all.  Thus  I  con- 
tinue my  advance  toward  the  centre,  till,  finally,  I 
reach  the  mmiispring,  and  in  reaching  that,  I  have 
reached  the  power ;  I  know  I  have,  for  by  stopping 
this  motion  I  stoj)  all  the  motions ;  all  the  hands  and 
all  the  wheels  at  once  stand  still.  Again :  See  that 
vast  building.  As  you  approach,  you  discover  that  a 
vast  amount  of  machinery  is  in  motion.  You  enter 
the  building,  and  you  see  numerous  wheels,  drums, 
shafts,  looms,  and  spindles  all  in  motion ;  but  in  none 
of  these  is  to  be  found  the  grand  moving  power,  though 
it  extends  to  them  all.  You  pass  through  the  vast 
building  from  one  department  to  another,  and  from 
one  shaft  to  another,  but  you  have  not  yet  found  the 
peculiar  power.  At  length  you  reach  a  point  where 
are  fire,  smoke,  steam,  wheels,  shafts,  rods,  and  pins  in 
abundance ;  but  in  neither  one  of  these  is  the  grand 
moving  power  located.  At  length  you  discover  a 
cylinder  in  which  is  pent  up  a  certain  amount  of 
steam  ;  here  is  the  power  ;  you  know  this  is  the  power 
from  which  the  entire  machinery  has  its  motion  ;  for 
if  you  scatter  this  pent  up  steam,  all  the  machinery 
stands  still,  though  all  the  other  particulars  remain  as 
before,  only  there  is  no  motion  ! 

Now  turn  to  that  vast  system  of  machinery  called 


18  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

Methodism.  It  was  set  in  motion  in  1738,  or,  more 
properly  speaking,  perhaps,  in  1739 ;  and  it  has  been 
running  ever  since..  Now  the  power  that  started,  and 
still  runs  this "  machinery,  is  a  peeuliar  power,  not 
absolutely,  but  in  some  respects,  particularly  with 
regard  to  its  extraordinary  energy,  its  modes  of  operating j 
and  its  extraordinary  results.  Observe  there  was  power 
before  the  time  here  specified,  and  that  power  worked 
a  given  machinery,  and  produced  corresponding  re- 
sults. But  since  that  time  we  observe  an  extraordinary 
power  working  an  extraordinary  machinery,  and,  of 
course,  producing  extraordinary  results.  These  are 
facts,  which,  we  presume,  will  not  be  denied. 

Now  we  wish  to  know  what  this  peculiar  power  is, 
and  where  it  is.  The  pretended  infallible  power  of  the 
Papal  Church  has  been  variously  defined  and  variously 
located.  Just  so  with  regard  to  the  peculiar  power  of 
which  we  speak.  Some  have  attributed  the  extra- 
ordinary results  to  one  thing,  some  to  another.  Some 
have  thought  that  they  discovered  ihi^  peculiar  power 
in  the  adaptation  of  certain  means  to  the  characters  of 
the  times,  while  others  have  thought  that  they  dis- 
covered it  in  the  extraordinary  statesmanship  and 
shrewdness  of  John  Wesley.  To  all  these,  and  many 
similar  conjectures,  it  is  only  necessary  to  give  this 
reply  :  John  Wesley  was  only  one  of  the  agents,  in 
connection  with  whose  labors  this  power  developed  it- 
self and  produced  the  results  to  which  we  refer.  More- 
over, John  Wesley  and  his  coadjutors  have  long  since 
passed  away,  and  times  have  greatly  changed,  but  the 
peculiar  power  is  still  working  with  similar  energy, 
and  producing  similar  results.     Indeed,  we  think  we 


REFORMATION   OP   EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY.        19 

can  show  that  this  ^ecw^mr  power  is  the  same,  essentially 
the  same,  both  in  energy  and  results,  in  every  age,  and 
among  every  people  where  it  is  found.  Some  have 
supposed  that  this  power  is  to  be  found  in  the  doctrines 
preached.  This  comes  nearer  to  the  point,  yet  it  is 
not  a  full  answer  to  the  question,  for  John  Wesley  and 
his  coadjutors,  like  the  apostles,  continually  said,  "We 
bring  no  new  commandment  unto  you."  In  the  Bible 
and  prayer  book  which  were  read  in  the  Churches  of 
their  fathers  every  Sabbath,  they  claim  to  find  every 
truth  that  they  preached.  Nor  will  it  do  to  tell  us 
that  the  power  which  produced  these  wonderful  and 
glorious  results  is  the  power  of  God  ;  for  we  know  this 
already — we  always  knew  this  ;  and  we  know,  too, 
that  God's  power,  like  himself,  is  "  the  same,  yesterday, 
and  to-day  and  forever ;"  and  so  is  his  wisdom,  and  so 
is  his  goodness.  AVhy,  then,  was  not  this  power  always 
exerted,  as  at  the  time  referred  to  ?  It  will  not  do  to 
resolve  the  whole  into  mystery,  nor  will  it  satisfy  to 
refer  it  to  the  Divine  Sovereignty.  We  really  think 
that  such  an  answer  is  no  answer  at  all ;  indeed,  it  is 
worse  than  none,  for  it  takes  all  blame  from  slothful 
Churches  and  slothful  individuals,  and  shifts  it  over 
upon  God  Almighty,  and  it  represents  him,  if  we  mis- 
take not,  as  being  fitful  and  capricious  in  the  exercise 
of  his  power.  But  this  is  contrary  to  his  own  account 
of  himself,  where  he  asserts  his  immutability,  and  where 
he  assures  us  that  on  his  part  "  all  things  are  now 
ready,"  and  that  '"'now  is  the  accepted  time,  and  now 
is  the  day  of  salvation,"  even  when  this  power  does  not 
operate. 

Now  we  not  only  believe  jthat  all  the  above,  and 


20       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

many  other  attempts,  fail  to  point  out  the  peculiar 
power  from  which  resulted  the  great  revival  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  but  we  believe  that  a  proper 
investigation  of  the  facts  of  Methodist  history  will 
clearly  discover  the  power  from  which  they  result; 
and  it  is  in  these  facts  that  we  see  the  revival,  as  well 
as  the  power  that  produced  the  revival.  This  mode 
of  investigation  has  some  peculiar  advantages,  for  the 
facts  themselves  are  so  interesting  that  they  will  pay 
us  for  all  our  trouble,  if  we  give  them  due  attention, 
even  though  we  should  fail  to  discover  the  peculiar 
power  from  which  they  resulted.  And  if  we  do 
succeed,  we  shall  discover,  not  only  the  grand  cause 
of  the  Methodist  revival,  but  also  that  of  all  similar 
revivals;  such  as  the  Apostolic,  and  Lutheran  re- 
vivals. And  we  shall  see,  too,  how  the  revival  may 
be  continued  or  reproduced. 

Finally.  .  If  we  shall  succeed  in  discovering  the 
2)eculiar  2J0iver  that  produced  such  grand  results,  we 
shall  find  it  an  easy  task  to  discover  what  is  next  in 
importance  to  this, — viz.,  the  way  in  which  individuals 
and  churches  lose  the  revival  spirit,  and  backslide.  I 
say  the  latter  is  next  in  importance  to  the  former,  for 
when  an  individual  or  a  church  is  quickened  into  life, 
real,  energetic,  useful  life,  the  next  thing  is  to  continue 
that  life,  and  thus  prevent  both  individuals  and 
churches  from  relapsing  into  their  former  death,  while 
they  retain  the  name  to  live.  And  we  may  expect 
just  such  relapses,  so  long  as  the  receipt  or  loss  of  this 
life-giving  power  is  resolved  into  a  deep  inexplicable 
mystery ;  so  long  as  it  is  referred  to  the  mere  sovereign, 
or  fitful  and  capricious  action  of  the  Almighty.     In 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.  21 

this  way  God  is  blamed  for  the  continued  rebellion  of 
the  sinner,  and  for  the  vile  backslidings  of  individuals 
and  whole  churches.  Such  views  are  alike  contrary 
to  reason  and  revelation;  and  they  are,  as  might  be 
expected,  unspeakably  ruinous  in  their  tendency.  Let 
us,  therefore,  earnestly  and  patiently  apply  ourselves 
to  the  investigation  of  a  subject  so  interesting,  and  so 
important. 

The  facts  which  we  shall  adduce  in  support  of  our 
position,  will  be  taken,  principally,  from  the  reforma- 
tions of  the  eighteenth,  sixteenth,  and  first  centuries, — 
viz.,  the  Wesleyan,  Lutheran,  and  Ai^ostolic  revivals ; 
thereby  showing  that  this  peculiar  moral  power  is  the 
same  in  every  age,  and  among  every  people.  We 
shall  also  expose  the  grand  errors  which  exclude  the 
conditions  of  this  power,  and  thereby  render  powerless 
all  the  systems  in  which  they  are  found. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Facts  of  Methodist  history  down  to  the  conversion  of  John 
and  Charles  Wesley — The  poetry  of  Samuel  Wesley  and  his 
sons — Mrs.  Wesley's  Academy — Her  method  of  teaching 
and  its  results — The  burning  of  the  Rectory  and  the  narrow 
escape  of  John — The  three  son's  sent  to  higher  schools,  and 
John  and  Charles  finally  to  Oxford — The  society  at  Oxford 
called  the  "  Holy  Club" — The  voyage  of  John  and  Charles 
to  America,  and  their  labors  there — Their  return  to  Eng- 
land— Very  interesting  particulars — The  first  and  many  suc- 
ceeding interviews  with  Peter  Bohler — A  minute  account 
of  their  convictions  and  painful  struggles  ;  and,  finally,  of 
their  conversion — The  peculiar  power  is  obtained,  and  be- 
gins to  manifest  itself. 

We  now  turn  to  the  facts  of  Methodist  history  to 
discover  that  2^eculiar  power  from  which  resulted  what 
we  see  and  hear,  and  what  has  been  matter  of  glorious 
experience  to  millions  of  precious  souls  who,  with 
Charles  Wesley,  have  joyfully  sung, 

"  What  we  have  felt  and  seen, 
With  confidence  we  tell ; 
And  publish  to  the  sons  of  men 
The  signs  infallible." 

We  commence  where  Moses  commenced,   "In  the 
beginning,"  and  will  notice  the  pe^^sons  and  the  prindr 
pies  through  which  God  exerted  his  power  in  produ- 
(22) 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         23 

cing  the  grand  results  wliicli  shall  pass  before  us  in 
order,  and  to  which,  as  facts,  we  call  attention. 

We  now  repair  to  the  old  Kectory  at  Epworth,  in 
Lincolnshire,  England.  There  we  find  the  good  rector, 
Samuel  Wesley,  and  his  wife  Susanna,  the  parents  of 
John  and  Charles  Wesley.  The  good  rector  was  the 
author  of  that  beautiful  hymn,  commencing, 

"  Behold  the  Saviour  of  mankind 
Nail'd  to  the  shameful  tree  ; 
How  vast  the  love  that  him  inclined 
To  bleed  and  die  for  thee." 

In  this  fine  efiusion  we  see  the  poet,  the  theologian, 
and  the  Christian.  The  son  to  whom  this  good  man 
gave  his  own  name,  not  only  received  the  name,  but 
also  the  poetic  genius  of  the  father,  as  is  evident  from 
that  fine,  pathetic  efiiision  of  which  he  was  the  author, 
and  of  which  the  following  is  the  first  verse : 

"  The  morning  flowers  display  their  sweets, 
And  gay  their  silken  leaves  unfold, 
As  careless  of  the  noontide  heats, 
As  fearless  of  the  evening  cold." 

I  need  not  say  that  John  and  Charles  Wesley  "were 
poets,  but  I  may  say,  that  their  numerous  and"  exceed- 
ingly varied  poetic  productions  contain  the  strength 
and  elegance  of  the  English  language,  the  heights  and 
depths  of  Christian  theology  and  Christian  experience, 
and  are  amongst  the  richest  poetic  efiTusions  that  ever 
flowed  from  the  Christian  pen.  It  would  be  difiicult 
to  find  any  thing  in  Christian  theology,  or  Christian 
experience,  that  is  not  clearly  and  forcibly  expressed 


24  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

in  the  hymns  of  John  and  Charles  Wesley.  It  is  said 
that  the  venerable  Henry  Moor,  who  was  personally 
acquainted  with  the  Wesleys,  remarked  on  one  occa- 
sion, that  the  Wesleyan  Hymn-Book  was  his  principal 
Commentary  for  many  years.  We  make  these  remarks 
that  it  may  be  seen  how  God  was  already  preparing 
material  for  the  great  work  whose  history  we  have  un- 
der review.  I  believe  these  hymns,  under  God,  tend 
to  preserve  the  doctrines  and  spirit  of  our  holy  religion 
to  an  extent  never  fully  appreciated.  Every  feeling 
that  the  human  soul  is  the  subject  of,  from  the  com- 
mencement of  repentance  to  the  loftiest  raptures  of  the 
perfect  Christian,  may  find  suitable  expression  in  the 
hymns  of  the  Wesleys.  Indeed,  they  sometimes  carry 
their  joyful  strains  to  such  an  elevation,  that  they  seem, 
finally,  to  blend  with  the  rapturous  songs  that  are  sung 
before  the  throne  in  heaven  ;  while  at  other  times  they 
flow  with  a  liquid  softness,  and  seem  to  blend  with  the 
very  tears  of  the  mourner,  or  in  low  and  solemn  ca- 
dence give  expression  to  the  most  subdued  feelings  of 
the  adoring  soul  before  the  mercy-seat;  as  in  the  fol- 
lowing lines: 

"The  o'erwbelming  power  of  saving  grace, 
The  sight  that,  veils  the  seraph's  face ; 
The  spechless  awe  that  dares  not  move, 
And  all  the  silent  heaven  of  love." 

Such  hymns  flow  from,  and  partake  of,  that  peculiar 
power  of  Methodism  which  we  desire  to  point  out. 

The  mother  of  these  sweet  singers,  Mrs.  Susanna 
Wesley,  was  the  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  An- 
nesley,  whose  cousin  was  the  then  Earl  of  Anglesey. 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         25 

He  was  an  eminent  and  pious  ministei*  of  the  gospel. 
Mrs.  Wesley  told  her  son  John  that  this  good  man  said, 
shortly  before  he  died,  "that  for  more  than  forty  years 
he  had  no  darkness,  no  fear,  no  doubt  at  all  of  his  be- 
ing 'accepted  in  the  Beloved.' "  (Wesley's  Works,  Vol. 
III.,  p.  152,  New  York  edition.)  John  and  Charles 
Wesley  were  brought  up  at  the  feet  of  a  greater  than 
Gamaliel.  Their  own  mother  prepared  them  for  those 
more  elevated  studies  which  they  afterwards  prosecuted 
so  successfully  in  the  classic  halls  of  Oxford.  In  a 
letter  to  her  son  John,  dated  July  24,  1732,  and  re- 
corded in  his  Journal,  Vol.  III.,  p.  262,  she  gives  us 
some  of  the  rules  which  she  observed  in  conducting 
this  holy  school  in  the  old  Rectory  at  Epworth.  She 
says,  "According  to  your  desire,  I  have  collected  the 
principal  rules  which  I  observed  in  educating  my 
family."  ***** 

"Samuel,  who  was  the  first  child  I  ever  taught, 
learned  the  alphabet  in  a  few  hours.  He  was  five 
years  old  on  the  tenth  of  February;  the  next  day  he 
began  to  learn ;  and  as  soon  as  he  knew  the  letters,  be- 
gan at  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis.  He  was  taught  to 
spell  the  first  verse,  then  to  read  it  over  and  over,  till 
he  could  read  it  ofi'-hand  without  any  hesitation ;  so  on 
to  the  second,  etc.,  till  he  took  ten  verses  for  a  lesson, 
which  he  quickly  did.  Easter  fell  low  that  year,  and 
by  Whitsuntide  he  could  read  a  chapter  very  well;  for 
he  read  continually."  *  *  * 

"The  same  method  was  observed  with  them  all.    As 

soon  as  they  knew  the  letters,  they  were  put  first  to 

spell,  and  read  one  line,  then  a  verse;   never  leaving 

till  perfect  in  their  lesson,  were  it  shorter  or  longer.  So 

3 


26       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

one  or  other  continued  reading  at  school-time,  without 
any  intermission ;  and  before  we  left  school  each  child 
read  what  he  had  learned  that  morning,  and  ere  we  part- 
ed in  the  afternoon  what  they  had  learned  that  day. 
There  was  no  such  thing  as  loud  talking,  or  playing  al- 
lowed of;  but  all  were  kept  close  to  their  business,  for 
six  hours  of  school ;  and  it  is  almost  incredible  what  a 
child  can  be  taught  in  a  quarter  of  a  year,  by  a  vigor- 
ous application,  if  it  have  but  a  tolerable  capacity  and 
good  health.  Every  one  of  the  children,  Kezzy  ex- 
cepted, could  read  better  in  that  time,  than  the  most  of 
women  can  do  as  long  as  they  live."  The  dullness  of 
Kezzy  she  accounts  for  thus:  "None  of  them  were 
taught  to  read  till  five  years  old,  except  Kezzy,  in 
whose  case  I  was  overruled,  and  she  was  more  years 
learning  than  any  of  the  rest  had  been  months."  This, 
doubtless,  is  the  "dull  child"  that  called  forth  the  fol- 
lowing interesting  incident.  Passing  through  the  school 
on  one  occasion,  while  the  patient  mother  was  giving 
"line  upon  line,  and  precept  upon  precept,"  Mr.  Wes- 
ley said,  "My  dear,  why  do  you  sit  there  hour  after 
hour,  telling  that  dull  child  the  same  thing  twenty 
times  over."  "Because  nineteen  times  are  not  suf- 
ficient," was  the  prompt  reply  of  the  great  teacher. 
The  school  hours  were  from  nine  to  twelve  and  from 
two  to  five.  The  day  upon  which  each  succeeding  child 
of  her  numerous  family  was  received  into  this  sacred 
school  was  a  marked  day,  and  much  to  be  remembered. 
Her  own  account  of  it  must  not  be  withheld.  Here  it 
is :  "  The  day  before  a  child  began  to  learn,  the  house 
was  set  in  order,  every  one's  work  appointed,  and  a 
charge  given  that  none  should  come  into  the  room 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         27 

from  nine  till  twelve,  or  from  two  till  five ;  which  you 
know  were  our  school  hours.  One  day  was  allowed 
the  child  wherein  to  learn  its  letters ;  and  each  of  them 
did  in  that  time  know  all  its  letters,  great  and  small, 
except  Molly  and  Nancy,  who  were  a  day  and  a  half 
before  they  knew  them  perfectly." 

One  more  short  extract  from  this  interesting  letter, 
and  we  must  leave  it;  would  that  every  parent  might 
read  the  whole  of  it.  "  For  some  years  we  went  on 
very  well.  Never  were  children  in  better  order.  Never 
were  children  better  disposed  to  piety,  or  in  more  sub- 
jection to  their  parents,  till  that  fatal  dispersion  of 
them  into  several  families,  after  the  fire.  In  those 
families  they  were  left  at  full  liberty  to  converse  with 
servants,  which  before  they  had  always  been  restrained 
from,  and  to  run  abroad  and  play  with  any  children, 
good  or  bad.  They  soon  learned  to  neglect  a  strict  ob- 
servation of  the  Sabbath,  and  got  a  knowledge  of  sev- 
eral songs  and  bad  things,  which  before  they  had  no 
notion  of.  That  civil  behaviour  which  made  them  ad- 
mired, when  at  home,  by  all  who  saw  them,  was,  in  a 
great  measure,  lost ;  and  a  clownish  accent,  and  many 
rude  ways  were  learned,  which  were  not  reformed  with- 
out some  difficulty.  When  the  house  was  rebuilt,  and 
the  children  all  gathered  home,  we  entered  upon  a 
strict  reformation ;  and  then  was  begun  the  custom  of 
singing  Psalms  at  beginning  and  leaving  school,  morn- 
ing and  evening." 

The  fire  mentioned  by  Mrs.  Wesley  in  the  above 
letter,  is  that  from  which  little  John  was  so  providen- 
tially rescued,  when  about  six  years  old.  The  deliver- 
ance was  on  this  wise : — When  the  parents  and  the  rest 


28  POWER    WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

of  the  family  had  narrowly  escaped,  and  the  little 
group  collected  before  the  burning  building,  of  which 
the  flames  had  now  the  complete  mastery,  little  John 
was  missing,  but  was  soon  seen  standing  at  an  upper 
window.  The  house  could  not  be  entered,  nor  could  a 
ladder  be  obtained  in  time;  but  a  noble  fellow  whose 
body  and  soul  were  well  adapted  to  the  emergency, 
quickly  placing  his  back  to  the  wall  of  the  burning 
building,  called  upon  another  man  to  stand  upon  his 
shoulders ;  the  call  was  promptly  obeyed,  and  the  child 
was  taken  from  the  window,  immediately  after  which 
the  roof  of  the  building  fell  in.  When  God  would 
save,  he  has  never  to  go  in  quest  of  help  to  accomplish 
his  purpose!  In  his  life  of  Wesley,  Mr.  Watson  says,  in 
reference  to  Mrs.  Wesley :  "  There  is  a  striking  passage 
in  one  of  her  private  meditations,  which  contains  a  refer- 
ence to  this  event,  and  indicates  that  she  considered  it 
as  laying  her  under  special  obligation  *  to  be  more  par- 
ticularly careful  of  the  soul  of  a  child  whom  God  had 
so  mercifully  provided  for.' "  The  memory  of  this  re- 
markable deliverance  is  also  preserved  in  one  of  Mr. 
Wesley's  early  portraits,  by  the  representation  of  a 
house  in  flames,  with  this  motto,  "Is  not  this  a  brand 
plucked  from  the  burning?" 

When  John  Wesley  had  reached  the  age  of  eight 
years,  his  religious  character  had  been  so  developed, 
even  then,  that  his  father  admitted  him  to  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  supper.  When  the  three  boys,  Samuel, 
John  and  Charles,  had  graduated  in  the  Maternal 
Academy,  they  were  sent  to  higher  seats  of  learning; 
but  the  foundation  of  their  future  greatness  was  un- 
questionably laid  in  the  Maternal  School.     Samuel, 


REFORMATION    OF    FIGIITEEXTH    CENTURY.  29 

who  was  the  eldest,  was  sent  to  Westminster  School,  to 
which,  at  an  after  period,  Charles  was  also  sent;  and  in 
1714  John  was  sent  to  the  Charter  House.  But,  ob- 
serve, they  are  not  yet  born  again;  hence  we  do  not  yet 
find  that  peculiar  power  for  which  we  seek.  In  due 
time  Samuel  is  elected  to  Christ  Church,  Oxford.  He 
became  a  ripe  scholar,  and  a  fine  poet.  He  finally  set- 
tled as  head  master  of  the  Free  School  at  Tiverton,  in 
Devonshire,  where  he  died  in  1739,  in  his  49th  year, 
just  as  the  peculiar  power  began  to  be  developed.  But 
we  return  to  John  and  Charles,  who,  while  seasons  and 
years  roll  on  and  pass  away,  continue  to  prosecute  their 
studies  with  vigor  and  success,  till  they  are  raised  to 
yet  higher  seats  of  learning  in  the  University  of  Ox- 
ford. Here,  too,  they  prosecute  their  studies,  even  with 
increasing  vigor  and  success;  but  still  they  are  uncon- 
verted, and  destitute  of  the  peculiar  power,  though 
their  moral  character  is  more  and  more  developed,  but 
they  are  not  yet  "endued  with  power  from  on  high." 
Charles,  whose  moral  character  seemed  to  develope 
more  slowly  than  that  of  John,  now  seems  to  vie  with 
his  brother  in  this  particular  also,  for  he  seems  to  have 
commenced  the  little  Oxford  Society,  which  afterwards 
was  known  as  "The  Holy  Club,"  and  which  we  shall 
notice  in  due  time.  Meantime  John  became  noted  for 
his  high  and  various  attainments.  "His  literary  char- 
acter," says  Dr.  Whitehead,  "  was  now  established  in 
the  University ;  he  was  acknowledged  by  all  parties  to 
be  a  man  of  talents,  and  an  excellent  critic  in  the 
learned  languages.  His  compositions  were  distin- 
guished by  an  elegant  simplicity  of  style,  and  justness 
of  thought  that  strongly  marked  the  excellence  of  his 
3* 


80  POWER    WITH    GOD    AND   WITH   MEN. 

classical  taste.  His  skill  in  logic,  or  the  art  of  reason- 
ing, was  universally  known  and  admired.  The  high 
opinion  that  was  entertained  of  him  in  these  respects, 
was  soon  publicly  expressed,  by  choosing  him  Greek 
lecturer  and  moderator  of  the  classes,  on  the  7th  of 
November,  though  he  had  only  been  elected  Fellow  of 
the  College  in  March.  He  was  little  more  than  twenty- 
three  years  of  age,  and  had  not  proceeded  to  master  of 
arts."  "He  took  his  degree,"  says  Mr.  Watson,  "in 
February,  1727;  became  his  father's  curate  in  August 
of  the  sanie  year;  returned  to  Oxford  in  1728,  to  ob- 
tain priests'  orders ;  and  paid  another  visit  to  Oxford 
in  1729,  where,  during  his  stay  he  attended  the  meet- 
ings of  a  small  society  formed  by  his  brother  Charles, 
Mr.  Morgan  and  a  few  others,  to  assist  each  other  in 
their  studies,  and  to  consult  how  to  emyloy  their  time 
to  the  best  advantage.  After  about  a  month  he  re- 
turned to  Ep worth;  but  upon  Dr.  Morley,  the  rector 
of  his  college,  requiring  his  residence  at  the  college,  he 
quitted  his  father's  curacy,  and  in  November  again  set- 
tled in  Oxford.  He  now  obtained  pupils,  and  became 
tutor  to  the  college;  presided  as  moderator  in  the  dis- 
putations six  times  a  week,  and  had  the  chief  direction 
of  a  religious  society.  From  this  time  he  stood  more 
prominently  forward  in  his  religious  character,  and  in 
his  efforts  to  do  good  to  others;  and  began  more  fully 
to  prove  that  they  that  will  live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus 
must  suffer  persecution." 


Our  reformer  is  now  fully  employed  where  he  de^ 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.         31 

lights  to  be,  and  where  he  even  now  dreams  that  he 
shall  spend  his  life,  to  use  his  own  words, 

.    "  Among  Academic  shades  to  search  for  truth." 

But  God  has  very  different  work  for  him  to  do,  and 
will  lead  him  by  a  way  which  as  yet  he  knows  not. 
Insensibly  to  himself,  his  zeal  and  various  other  quali- 
fications, make  him  the  centre  and  soul  of  the  pious 
nucleus  of  which  his  brother  was  the  first  centre.  Of 
this  interesting  little  company,  Mr.  J.  Wesley  has  left 
on  record  the  following  account :  (Works,  vol.  v. 
p.  246.) 

In  November,  1729,  four  young  gentlemen  of  Ox- 
ford— Mr.  John  Wesley,  Fellow  of  Lincoln  College ; 
Mr.  Charles  Wesley,  Student  of  Christ  Church;  Mr. 
Morgan,  Commoner  of  Christ  Church,  and  Mr.  Kirk- 
ham,  of  Merton  College,  began  to  spend  some  evenings 
in  the  week  together,  in  reading,  chiefly,  the  Greek  Tes- 
tament. The  next  year  two  or  three  of  Mr.  John  Wes- 
ley's pupils  desired  the  liberty  of  meeting  with  them ; 
and  afterward  one  of  Mr.  Charles  Wesley's  pupils.  It 
was  in  1732,  that  Mr.  Ingham,  of  Queen's  College,  and 
Mr.  Broughton,  of  Exeter,  were  added  to  their  num- 
ber. To  these,  in  April,  was  joined  Mr.  Clayton,  of 
Brazennose,  with  two  or  three  of  his  pupils.  About 
the  same  time  j\Ir.  James  Hervey  was  permitted  to 
meet  with  them,  and  in  1735  Mr.  Whitefield."  *  * 
"  They  were  all  zealous  members  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, not  only  tenacious  of  all  her  doctrines,  so  far  as 
they  knew  them,  but  of  all  her  discipline,  to  the  mi- 
nutest circumstance." 

Here  is  what  is  called  the  first  Methodist  Society. 


32       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

But  like  some  other  Methodist  Societies  which  we  have 
known,  it  was  destitute  of  the  peculiar  'power,  the  true 
power  of  Methodism.  John  and  Charles  Wesley  have 
now  everything  but  this ;  and  they  do,  it  would  seem, 
everything  that  can  be  done  without  it.  They  visit 
hospitals,  prisons,  and  the  most  neglected  portions  of 
society.  They  fast,  they  pray,  they  study,  they  teach, 
they  exhort  and  they  preach.  They  deprive  themselves 
even  of  the  necessaries  of  life  that  they  may  clothe  the 
naked  and  feed  the  hungry.  And  in  these  ways  they 
relieve  much  suffering,  and  do  much  good  ;  but,  alas ! 
they  lack  the  peculiar  power.  Hence  we  do  not  hear 
of  a  single  clear  conversion.  Like  many  others,  they 
have  every  qualification,  save  the  peculiar  power.  If 
classical  learning,  classical  polish,  logical  argument, 
various  and  extensive  learning,  both  literary  and  sci- 
entific ;  together  with  incessant  labor  and  self-denial, 
would  do  the  work,  John  Wesley  would  have  done  it 
at  this  time,  probably  equal  to  any  man  of  that  or  any 
other  age.  But  this  work  cannot  be  done  without  tho 
peculiar  power ;  and  this  the  Wesleys  have  not  yet  re- 
ceived.    Their  day  of  pentecost  is  not  yet  come. 

Now  the  classic,  and  much-loved  halls  of  Oxford, 
with  their  precious  associations ;  yea,  and  old  England 
itself,  together  with  their  excellent  mother,  lately  made 
a  widow,  brother,  sisters,  and  other  friends,  are  all  part- 
ed with  by  the  zealous  brothers,  who  are  now  deter- 
mined to  preach  the  Gospel  in  the  western  world, 
hoping  that  they  may  there  have  better  success  than 
they  had  in  England. 

"  The  holy  club"  at  Oxford,  already  much  dimin- 
ished under  the  cruel  hand  of  persecution,  is  now  finally 


ItEFORMATlON    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         33 

broken  up  by  the  departure  of  the  two  Wesleys,  who, 
on  the  14th  of  October,  1735,  embarked  on  board  the 
*'  Simmonds,"  at  Gravesend,  for  Georgia.  They  were 
accompanied  by  Benjamin  Ingham  and  Charles  Dela- 
motte.  A  single  quotation  from  John  Wesley's  Jour- 
nal will  suffice  to  show  that  these  men  lived  on  the 
great  deep,  as  they  had  lived  at  Oxford,  a  life  of  inces- 
sant toil  and  self-denial.  Having  passed  through  the 
unavoidable  irregularities  of  embarkation,  &c.,  they 
now  resume  the  strict  Methodistic  mode  of  life : — "  We 
now  began  to  be  a  little  regular.  Our  common  way  of 
living  was  this: — From  four  in  the  morning  till  five, 
each  of  us  used  private  prayer.  From  five  to  seven  we 
read  the  Bible  together,  carefully  comparing  it  (that 
we  might  not  lean  to  our  own  understanding)  with  the 
writings  of  the  earliest  ages.  At  seven  we  breakfasted. 
At  eight  were  the  public  prayers.  From  nine  to  twelve 
I  usually  learned  German,  and  Mr.  Delamotte,  Greek. 
My  brother  wrote  sermons,  and  Mr.  Ingham  instructed 
the  children.  At  twelve  we  met  to  give  an  account  to 
one  another  of  what  we  had  done  since  our  last  meet- 
ing, and  of  what  we  designed  to  do  before  our  next. 
About  one  we  dined.  The  time  from  dinner  to  four, 
we  spent  in  reading  to  those  whom  each  of  us  had  taken 
in  charge,  or  in  speaking  to  them  severally  as  need  re- 
quired. At  four  were  the  evening  prayers ;  when  either 
the  second  lesson  was  explained,  (as  it  always  was  in 
the  morning,)  or  the  children  were  catechised  and  in- 
structed before  the  congregation.  From  five  to  six  we 
again  used  private  prayer.  From  six  to  seven  I  read 
in  our  cabin  to  two  or  three  of  the  passengers,  (of  whom 
there  were  about  eighty  English  on  board,)  and  each 


34       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

of  my  brethren  to  a  few  more  in  theirs.  At  seven  I 
joined  with  the  Germans  in  their  public  service,  while 
Mr.  Ingham  was  reading  between  the  decks,  to  as  many 
as  desired  to  hear.  At  eight  we  met  again  to  exliort 
and  instruct  one  another.  Between  nine  and  ten  we 
went  to  bed,  where  neither  the  roaring  of  the  sea,  nor 
the  motion  of  the  ship,  could  take  away  the  refreshing 
sleep  which  God  gave  us."  This  is  what  he  calls,  "  A 
little  regular!"  Some  would  think  this  was  regular 
enough.  One  may  see,  however,  even  here,  a  develop- 
ment of  the  rules  observed  in  the  maternal  academy  in 
the  old  Rectory  at  Epworth.  Yes,  the  impressions 
made  by  the  hand  of  Susanna  Wesley,  upon  her  sons, 
never  left  them  during  their  long  and  useful  life.  She 
trained  them  up  in  the  way  they  should  go,  and  when 
they  were  old  they  did  not  depart  from  it.  Yet  they 
are  still  destitute  of  the  peeuliar  power,  like  many 
others,  they  are  Methodists  without  the  true  Method- 
istic  power. 

Finally,  on  the  5th  of  February,  1736,  the  good  ship 
cast  anchor  in  the  destined  port,  and  soon  after  the 
Missionaries  landed  at  Savannah,  where  Mr.  Wesley 
makes  the  following  record  in  his  Journal.  "  Thurs- 
day 5. — Between  two  and  three  in  the  afternoon,  God 
brought  us  all  safe  into  the  Savannah  river.  We  cast 
anchor  near  Tybee  Island,  where  the  groves  of  pines, 
running  along  the  shore,  made  an  agreeable  prospect, 
showing,  as  it  were,  the  bloom  of  spring  in  the  depth 
of  winter.  Friday  6. — About  eight  in  the  morning  we 
first  set  foot  on  American  ground.  It  was  a  small  un- 
inhabited island,  over  against  Tybee.  Mr.  Oglethorp 
led  us  to  a  rising  ground,  where  we  all  kneeled  down  to 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.         35 

give  thanks."  Just  so  it  was,  that  the  puritan  j)ilgrims 
commenced  their  life  and  labors  upon  this  continent 
many  years  before ;  nor  has  God  failed  to  answer  the 
prayers  of  his  servants,  either  first  or  last.  On  the  13th 
he  makes  the  following  record  in  his  Journal :  "  In  the 
course  of  reading  to-day  were  these  words:  'Thus  saith 
the  Lord  of  hosts,  It  shall  yet  come  to  pass,  that  there 
shall  come  people,  and  the  inhabitants  of  many  cities : 
and  the  inhabitants  of  one  city  shall  go  to  another, 
saying,  Let  us  go  speedily  to  pray  before  the  Lord,  and 
to  seek  the  Lord  of  hosts  :  I  will  go  also.  Yea,  many 
people  and  strong  nations  shall  come  to  seek  the  Lord 
of  hosts  in  Jerusalem,  and  to  pray  before  the  Lord.' — 
Zech.  viii.  20-22."  That  was  a  day  of  small  things; 
but  the  great  soul  of  this  missionary  looked  hopefully 
to  the  future,  though  clouds  and  darkness  then  rested 
upon  it.  And  his  hopes,  as  well  as  the  suggestions  of 
the  above  Scripture,  have  been  gloriously  realized'; 
though  for  the  time  he  and  his  devoted  companions 
neemed  to  labor  in  vain,  and  spend  their  strength  for 
naught,  for  they  had  not,  as  yet,  the  peculiar  power ; 
the  day  of  pentecost  was  not  yet  come. 

The  history  of  the  two  Wesleys  during  this  period 
is  well  known.  It  is  only  necessary  to  say  that  they 
labored  much,  and  suffered  not  a  little,  and,  apparently 
at  least,  with  very  little  success.  The  centre  of  John's 
field  of  labor  was  Savannah,  while  that  of  Charles  was 
Frederica.  In  July,  1736,  Charles  was  sent  to  Eng- 
land with  despatches  from  Mr.  Oglethorp,  and  arrived 
at  Deal  in  December  following.  The  brothers  so  long 
united,  in  childhood  and  manhood ;  in  studies  and 
travels ;  by  sea  and  by  land ;  iu  sufferings  and  perils, 


36       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

are  now  for  a  time  separated,  and  the  broad  Atlantic 
rolls  between  them.  But  John  still  seems  to  say, 
"  None  of  these  things  move  me,  neither  count  I  my 
life  dear  unto  me  so  that  I  might  finish  my  course 
with  joy,  and  the  ministry  which  I  have  received  of 
the  Lord  Jesus,  to  testify  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of 
God."  Night  and  day  he  toils  on,  now  among  the 
colonists,  and  then  among  the  Indians;  determined, 
it  would  seem,  to  practice  and  cause  all  others  to  prac- 
tice every  thing  enjoined  in  the  Bible  and  in  the 
Prayer-book.  But  he  seems  to  labor  on  the  rock,  and 
write  upon  the  sand,  till  finally  he  brings  to  a  close 
these  unsuccessful  labors,  and  makes  the  following 
record  in  his  journal: 

"  Friday,  16,  1738,  I  parted  with  the  last  of  those 
friends  who  came  with  me  into  America,  Mr.  Charles 
Delamotte,  from  whom  I  had  been  but  a  few  days 
separate  since  October  14th,  1735."  On  Sunday,  18th, 
being  quite  sick,  he  says :  "  yet  I  had  strength  enough 
given  to  preach  once  more  to  this  careless  people." 
Again,  "Thursday,  22d,  I  took  my  leave  of  America, 
(though,  if  it  please  God,  not  for  ever,)  going  on  board 
the  Samuel,  Captain  Percy."  But  his  personal  labors 
were  done  in  America,  God  had  prepared  another  field 
for  him ;  his  influence,  however,  is  still  felt  in  America, 
and  in  every  other  country.  Again,  "  Saturday,  24th, 
we  sailed  over  Charleston  bar,  and  about  noon  lost 
sight  of  land."  Being  in  great  heaviness  for  several 
days,  why  he  knew  not,  he  says,  "I  cried  earnestly  for 
help,  and  it  pleased  God,  as  in  a  moment  to  restore 
peace  to  my  soul."  At  another  time  he  says,  "  Being 
sorrowful  and  very  heavy,  (though  I  eould  give  no 


REFOrvMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.        37 

particular  reason  for  it,)  and  utterly  unwilling  to  speak 
close  to  any  of  my  little  flock,  (about  twenty  persons,) 
I  was  in  doubt  whether  my  neglect  of  them  was  not 
one  cause  of  my  heaviness.  In  the  evening,  therefore, 
I  began  instructing  the  cabin-boy,  after  which  I  was 
much  easier."  To  all  who  are  in  similar  heaviness, 
we  would  earnestly  recommend  the  same  remedy ;  it 
would,  we  doubt  not,  prove  as  effectual  in  their  case 
as  it  did  in  that  of  John  Wesley.  Thus,  as  hitherto, 
he  continued  his  labors  while  the  *good  ship  dashed 
through  the  billows  toward  Old  England.  At  one 
time  he  tells  us,  "All  in  the  ship,  except  the  captain 
and  steersman,  were  present  both  at  the  morning  and 
evening  service."  At  another  time  he  says,  "I  began 
instructing  a  negro  lad  in  the  principles  of  Christian- 
ity." But  he  is  not  satisfied  with  his  labors  even  yet, 
hence  he  says,  "I  resolved,  God  being  my  helper,  not 
only  to  preach  it  to  all,  but  to  apply  the  word  of  God 
to  every  single  soul  in  the  ship.  I  no  sooner  executed 
this  resolution  than  my  spirit  revived,  so  that  from 
this  day  I  had  no  more  of  that  fearfulness  and  heavi- 
ness which  before  almost  continually  weighed  me 
down." 

But,  still  he  is  destitute  of  the  peculiar  power ;  and 
still  he  writes  bitter  things  against  himself,  in  a  mourn- 
ful record  of  which  the  following  is  the  substance : 
"  By  the  most  infallible  proofs,  inward  feeling,"  he 
finds  in  himself,  "unbelief,"  "pride,"  "gross  irrecol- 
lection,"  and  "levity  and  luxuriancy  of  spirit,"  which 
he  says  he  finds  "  recurring  whenever  the  pressure  ia 
taken  off  and  appearing  by  my  speaking  words  not 
tending  to  edify;  but  most  by  my  manner  of  speaking 


38       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

of  my  enemies."  Here  he  exclaims,  "  Lord  save,  or  I 
perish !  Save  me,  1st.  By  such  faith  as  implies  peace 
in  life  and  in  death.  2d.  By  such  humility  as  may  fill 
my  heart  from  this  hour  forever,  with  a  piercing  un- 
utterable sense,  I  have  done  nothing  hitherto,  having 
evidently  built  without  foundation.  3d.  By  such  a 
recollection  as  may  cry  to  thee  every  moment,  espe- 
cially when  all  is  calm  ;  Give  me  faith  or  I  die;  give 
me  a  lowly  spirit;  otherwise  let  life  be  a  burden  to 
me.  4th.  By  steadiness,  seriousness,  or  sobriety  of 
spirit,  avoiding,  as  fire,  every  word  that  tendeth  not  to 
edify,  and  never  speaking  of  any  who  oppose  me,  or 
sin  against  God  without  all  my  own  sins  set  in  array 
before  my  face."  Soon  after  he  has  this  reflection, 
"I  reflected  much  on  that  vain  desire  which  had  pur- 
sued me  for  so  many  years,  of  being  in  solitude,  in 
order  to  be  a  Christian.  I  have  now,  I  thought,  soli- 
tude enough.  But  am  I,  therefore,  the  nearer  being  a 
Christian  ?  Not  if  Jesus  Christ  be  the  model  of  Chris- 
tianity. I  doubt,  indeed,  I  am  much  nearer  that 
mystery  of  Satan,  which  some  writers  affect  to  call  by 
that  name.  So  near  that  I  had  probably  sunk  wholly 
into  it  had  not  the  great  mercy  of  God  just  now  thrown 
me  upon  reading  St.  Cyprian's  works.  O  my  soul, 
come  not  thou  into  their  secret.  Stand  thou  in  the 
good  old  paths." 

Again.  Jan.  24,  1738.  "  We  spoke  with  two  ships, 
outward  bound,  from  whom  we  had  the  welcome  news, 
of  our  wanting  but  one  hundred  and  sixty  leagues  of 
the  Land's  End.  My  mind  was  now  full  of  thought ; 
part  of  which  I  write  down  as  follows : — I  went  to 
America,  to  convert  the  Indians  •  but  O !  who  shall 


REFORMATION   OF    EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.         39 

convert  me  ?  Who,  what  is  he  that  shall  deliver  me 
from  this  evil  heart  of  unbelief?  I  have  a  fair  summer 
religion.  I  can  talk  well;  nay,  and  believe  myself, 
while  no  danger  is  near:  but  let  death  look  me  in 
the  face,  and  my  spirit  is  troubled.  Nor  can  I  say, 
*  To  die  is  gain !' 

I  have  a  sin  of  fear,  that  when  I've  spun 
Mj  last  thread,  I  shall  perish  on  the  shore." 

After  much  more  dolorous  reflection  of  this  kind,  he 
exclaims,  in  the  most  touching  language,  "  O !  who 
shall  deliver  me  from  this  fear  of  death  ?  What  shall 
I  do  ?  Where  shall  I  fly  from  it  ?  Shall  I  fight  against 
it  by  thinking,  or  by  not  thinking  of  it  ?" 

He  has  not  yet  a  Christian  experience,  and  he  knows 
it,  and  acknowledges  it.  In  this  he  diflers  from  many 
learned  ministers,  who  are  no  better  than  he  then  was. 
Alas !  alas !  many  such  there  are  who  cannot  say,  any 
more  than  John  Wesley  could,  at  that  time,  "  Being 
justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace  with  God,  through 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ :  by  whom  also  we  have  access 
by  faith  into  this  grace  wherein  Ave  stand,  and  rejoice 
in  the  hope  of  the  glory  of  God."  Almost  in  the  very 
words  of  Scripture,  though  he  does  not  seem  to  advert 
to  them,  he  exclaims,  "O  wretched  man  that  I  am! 
who  shall  deliver  me  from  this  body  of  death  ?"  But, 
thank  God  he  has  not  fallen  into  the  delusion,  the 
deadly  error,  of  those  who  teach  that  such  dreadful 
groans  as  these  belong  to  the  highest  Christian  ex- 
perience !  If  he  had,  probably  Methodism  had  never 
known  the  peculiar  power ;  nay,  Methodism,  so  called, 
in  all  probability,  would  never  have  had  an  existence. 


40  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

It  was  well,  tlierefoi-e,  that  he  passed  through  such 
fearful  storms  as  he  records  in  the  following  extract 
from  his  journal  of  January  13  : — "  About  midnight 
we  were  awakened  by  a  confused  noise  of  seas  and 
wind  and  men's  voices,  the  like  to  which  I  had  never 
heard  before.  The  sound  of  the  sea  breaking  over  and 
against  the  sides  of  the  ship,  I  could  compare  to  nothing 
but  large  cannon,  or  American  thunder.  The  rebound- 
ing, starting,  quivering  motion  of  the  ship  resembled 
what  is  said  of  earthquakes.  The  captain  was  upon 
deck  in  an  instant.  But  his  men  could  not  hear  what 
he  said.  It  blew  a  proper  hurricane ;  which,  beginning 
at  the  south-west,  then  went  west,  north-west,  north, 
and,  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  round  by  the  east  to  the 
south-west  point  again.  At  the  same  time  the  sea  run- 
ning (as  they  term  it)  mountain  high,  and  that  from 
many  different  points  at  once,  the  ship  would  not  obey 
the  helm ;  nor,  indeed,  could  the  steersman,  through  the 
violent  rain  see  the  compass,  so  he  was  forced  to  let 
her  run  before  the  wind,  and  in  half  an  hour  the  stress 
of  the  storm  Avas  over."  It  was  in  the  midst  of  this 
storm  that  our  missionary  resolved  not  only  to  preach 
the  word  of  God  to  all,  "  but  to  apply  it  to  every  single 
soul  in  the  ship ;"  nor  did  he,  like  many,  resolve  in  the 
storm,  and  forget  in  the  calm ;  for  he  says,  "  I  no 
sooner  executed  this  resolution  than  my  spirit  revived; 
so  that  from  this  day  I  had  no  more  of  that  fearfulness 
and  heaviness,  which  before  almost  continually  weighed 
me  down."  Thus  did  God  preach  to  John  Wesley  by 
winds  and  seas,  that  roared  like  "American  thunder;" 
as  well  as  by  saints  and  sinners,  till  he  became  convinced 
that  he  "  was  building  without  a  foundation,"  and  that 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         41 

he  had  only  "a  fair  summer  religion"  that  would  not 
bear  the  test,  especially  when  "  death  looked  him  in  the 
face."  He  resolved,  however,  not  to  be  satisfied  short 
of  that  religion  described  by  the  Psalmist  in  these 
words :  "  Therefore  will  not  we  fear,  though  the  earth 
be  removed,  and  though  the  mountains  be  carried  into 
the  midst  of  the  sea ;  though  the  waters  thereof  roar 
and  be  troubled ;  though  the  mountains  shake  with  the 
swelling  thereof."  And  we  thank  God  that  he  so  re- 
solved ;  for  in  due  time  he  obtained  this  very  religion  ; 
and  he  feared  the  storms  no  more,  as  his  after  life  fully 
testifies. 

The  terrible  storms  have  again  blown  by,  and  the 
good  ship,  which  in  the  kind  providence  of  God  so  suc- 
cessfully battled  them,  is  now  fast  approaching  the 
English  coast,  and  the  grateful  missionary  makes  the 
following  record  in  his  Journal :  "  Sunday,  January 
29,  1738.  We  saw  English  land  once  more ;  which, 
about  noon,  appeared  to  be  the  Lizard  Point.  We  ran 
by  it  with  a  fair  wind ;  and  at  noon,  the  next  day, 
made  the  west  end  of  the  Isle  of  Wight."  Finally,  on 
the  31st, 'he  says,  "Toward  evening  was  a  calm;  but 
in  the  night  a  strong  north  wind  brought  us  safe  into 
the  Downs.  The  day  before,  Mr.  Whitfield  had  sailed 
out,  neither  of  us  then  knowing  anything  of  the  other. 
At  four  in  the  morning  we  took  boat,  and  in  half  an 
hour  landed  at  Deal ;  it  being  AVednesday,  Febru- 
ary  1." 

Once  more  he  treads  the  shores  of  his  native  coun- 
try, he  is  again  in  the  land  of  his  birth,  the  land  of  his 
fathers.     He  is  now  about  35  years  of  age.     He  has 

been  a  student,  a  close  student  from  his  childhood. 
4* 


42  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

For  many  years  lie  has  been  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel. 
He  has  preached  to  the  French,  the  Italians,  and  the 
English,  in  their  own  tongue,  while  he  was  a  missiona- 
ry, and  could  have  preached  in  Hebrew,  Greek,  and 
Latin,  had  it  been  necessary.  In  his  journeys  seeking 
the  lost  sheep  in  an  inhospitable  clime,  he  has  slept  in 
the  lonely  wilderness  during  the  night-watches,  when 
his  clothes  and  his  hair  were  frozen  to  the  earth.  He 
has  prosecuted  these  labors  at  home  and  abroad,  by  sea 
and  by  land,  with  a  perseverance  seldom  equalled,  and 
perhaps  never  surpassed  ;  but  still  he  confidently  avers 
that  he  is  not  yet  a  Christian,  and  it  is  quite  certain 
that  he  has  not  the  peculiar  power  after  which  we  seek. 
All  his  reflections  at  this  time  are  very  interesting,  but 
they  cannot  be  introduced  here ;  some  of  them,  how- 
ever, are  so  important  in  themselves,  and  so  closely 
connected  with  the  object  of  our  investigation,  that  we 
may  not  wholly  pass  them  by.  Vol.  iii.,  p.  bQ,  he  says, 
"  It  is  now  two  years  and  almost  four  months  since  I 
left  my  native  country,  in  order  to  teach  the  Georgia 
Indians  the  nature  of  Christianity,  but  what  have  I 
learned  myself  in  the  meantime?  Why,  that  I  who 
went  to  America  to  convert  others,  was  never  myself 
converted  to  God."  Knowing  that  this  was  a  startling 
statement,  and  that  some  of  his  best  friends  objected  to 
it,  he  adds,  "'I  am  not  mad,'  though  I  thus  speak; 
*  but  speak  the  words  of  truth  and  soberness ;'  if  happily 
some  of  those  who  still  dream  may  awake,  and  see,  that 
as  I  am  so  are  they."  O  that  the  present  investiga- 
tions might,  at  least  in  some  measure,  tend,  by  the 
blessing  of  God,  to  promote  the  same  important  end, 
the  end  for  which  John  Wesley  recorded  his  experi- 


P.EFOr.MATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         4o 

eiice.  He  goes  on,  "  Are  they  read  in  philosophy  ?  So 
was  I.  In  ancient  or  modern  tongues  ?  So  was  I  also. 
Are  they  versed  in  the  science  of  Divinity  ?  I  too  have 
studied  it  many  years.  Can  they  talk  fluently  upon 
spiritual  things?  The  very  same  could  I  do.  Are 
they  plenteous  in  alms?  Behold,  I  gave  all  my 
goods  to  feed  the  poor.  Do  they  give  of  their  labor  as 
well  as  of  their  substance  ?  I  have  labored  more  abund- 
antly than  they  all.  Are  they  willing  to  suffer  for 
their  brethren?  I  have  thrown  up  my  friends,  reputa- 
tion, ease,  country ;  I  have  put  ray  life  in  my  hand, 
wandering  into  strange  lands ;  I  have  given  my  body 
to  be  devoured  by  the  deep,  parched  up  with  heat,  con- 
sumed by  toil  and  weariness,  or  whatsoever  God  should 
please  to  bring  upon  me.  But  does  all  this  (be  it  more 
or  less,  it  matters  not,)  make  me  acceptable  to  God? 
Does  all  I  ever  did  or  can  know,  say,  give,  do,  or  suf- 
fer, justify  me  in  His  sight?  Yea,  or  the  constant  use 
of  all  the  means  of  grace,  (which,  nevertheless,  is  meet, 
right,  and  our  bounden  duty;)  or  that  I  know  nothing 
of  myself,  that  I  am,  as  touching  outward  moral  right- 
eousness, blameless.  Or,  (to  come  closer  yet,)  the  hav- 
ing a  rational  conviction  of  all  the  truths  of  Christianity  ? 
Does  all  this  give  me  a  claim  to  the  holy,  heavenly, 
divine  character  of  a  Christian  ?  By  no  means.  If  the 
oracles  of  God  are  true,  if  we  are  still  to  abide  by  '  the 
law  and  the  testimony ;'  all  these  things,  though,  when 
ennobled  by  faith  in  Christ,  they  are  holy,  and  just,  and 
good,  yet  without  it,  are  'dung  and  dross.'"  Again: 
"  Having  nothing  in  or  of  myself  to  plead,  I  have  no 
hope  but  that  of  being  justified  freely  'through  the 
redemption  that  is  in  Jesus ;'  I  have  no  hope  but  that 


44       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

if  I  seek  I  shall  find  Christ,  and  'be  found  in  him,  not 
having  mine  own  righteousness,  but  that  which  is 
through  the  fiiith  of  Christ,  the  righteousness  which  is 
of  God  by  faith.'  "  A  little  after  he  says,  "  The  faith 
I  want  is  the  faith  of  a  son."  And  again :  "  I  want 
that  faith  which  St.  Paul  recommends  to  all  the  world, 
especially  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Komans ;  the  faith 
which  enables  every  one  that  hath  it  to  cry  out,  *I  live 
not,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me,  and  the  life  which  I  now 
live,  I  live  by  faith  in  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me, 
and  gave  himself  for  me.'  I  want  that  faith  which 
none  can  have  without  knowing  that  he  hath  it, 
(though  many  imagine  they  have  it,  who  have  it  not,) 
for  whosoever  hath  it,  is  *  freed  from  sin,'  the  '  body  of 
sin  is  destroyed'  in  him  ;  he  is  freed  from  fear,  *  having 
peace  with  God  through  Christ,  and  rejoicing  in  hope 
of  the  glory  of  God.'  And  he  is  freed  from  doubt,  hav- 
ing the  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  his  heart  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  which  is  given  unto  him,  which  'Spirit 
itself  beareth  witness  with  his  spirit,  that  he  is  a  child 
of  God.'" 

Now,  let  it  be  well  observed,  that  I  do  not  present 
Mr.  Wesley's  teachings  and  views,  up  to  this  time,  as 
being  all  Scriptural,  though  most  of  them  are  pretty 
near  right.  My  object  is  to  show,  from  the  facts  of 
history,  when  and  how  he  obtained  a  knowledge  of 
the  great  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith,  and  of  the 
kindred  doctrine,  the  direct  witness  of  the  Spirit,  to 
show  how  he  and  Methodism  obtained  the  peculiar 
power,  and  to  show  what  that  power  is. 

About  this  time  Mr.  Wesley  had  several  conversa- 
tions with  Peter  Bolder,  Schulius  Richter,  and  Wensel 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         45 

Neiser,  in  London,  where  they  had  just  arrived  from 
Germany.  "  Finding  they  had  no  acquaintance  in 
England,"  he  says,  "  I  offered  to  procure  them  a  lodging, 
and  did  so,  near  Mr.  Hutton's,  where  I  then  was.  And 
from  this  time  I  did  not  willingly  lose  any  opportunity 
of  conversing  with  them,  while  I  stayed  in  London." 
The  two  grand  points  upon  which  they  principally  con- 
versed, were  the  two  kindred  doctrines  specified  above. 
Upon  the  same  points  he  had  conversed  with  German 
Missionaries  on  his  passage  to  Georgia  and  in  Georgia. 
By  appealing  to  the  standards  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, to  the  writings  of  the  Fathers,  and  especially  to 
the  word  of  God,  he  became  more  and  more  enlight- 
ened and  confirmed  as  to  the  truth  and  importance  of 
these  vital  doctrines.  It  was  on  the  7th  of  February, 
1738,  that  he  first  met  with  Mr.  Bohler  to  whom  he 
soon  became  much  attached,  but  much  as  he  loved  to 
converse  with  this  good  man,  he  continued  to  travel 
and  preach  as  hitherto.  But  as  we  are  now  fast 
approaching  the  important  point  where  the  peculiar 
power  is  to  be  discovered,  we  must  carefully  mark  every 
step,  and  to  that  end  quote  from  the  journal.  On  the 
17th  of  February,  he  makes  the  following  entry: — "I 
set  out  for  Oxford  with  Peter  Bohler,  where  we  were 
kindly  received  by  Mr.  Sarney,  the  only  one  now  re- 
maining here,  of  many  who,  at  our  embarking  for 
America,  were  used  to  take  sweet  counsel  together  and 
rejoice  in  bearing  the  reproach  of  Christ."  Again,  on 
the  18th,  he  says,  "All  this  time  I  conversed  much 
with  Peter  Bohler,  but  I  understood  him  not;  and 
least  of  all  when  he  said,  Mifrater,  mifrater,  excoquenda 
est  ista  tua  philosophia.     "  My  brother,  my  brother,  that 


46      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

philosophy  of  yours  must  be  purged  away."  John's 
philosophy  and  Peter's  faith  are  now  fairly  at  issue ; 
but  Peter  is  unyielding.  He  is  evidently  determined 
that  philosophy  shall  not  usurp  the  place  of  faith  in 
Christ;  nay,  nothing  will  satisfy  him  short  of  having 
it  purged  away ;  nor  can  we  resist  the  conviction  that 
there  are  at  this  day  many  ministers  who,  in  this  par- 
ticular at  least,  stand  in  need  of  purging  much  more 
than  did  John  Wesley.  Although  Mr.  W.  records  no 
more  than  the  above,  it  is  evident  that  his  philosophy 
rather  than  Peter's  faith  yielded  in  this  contest.  Still, 
however,  he  keeps  preaching;  hence  on  Sunday  the 
26th,  we  find  him  preaching  three  times  in  London. 
But  as  he  is  now  fully  convinced  that  he  has  not  justi- 
fying faith,  he  says,  Saturday  the  4th  of  March,  "  Im- 
mediately it  struck  into  my  mind,  leave  off  preaching. 
How  can  you  preach  to  others  who  have  not  faith 
yourself?  I  asked  Bohler  whether  he  thought  I  ought 
to  leave  it  off  or  not.  He  answered,  *  By  no  means.' 
I  asked,  *  But  what  can  I  preach  ?'  He  said,  '  Preach 
faith  till  you  have  it ;  and  then,  because  you  have  it 
you  will  preach  faith."  To  this  advice  he  at  once 
yields,  for  he  seems  to  be  teachable  as  a  child, 

"Accordingly,  Monday,  6th,  I  began  to  preach  this 
new  doctrine,  though  my  soul  started  back  from  the 
work.  The  first  person  to  whom  I  offered  salvation  by 
faith  alone,  was  a  prisoner  under  sentence  of  death ; 
his  name  was  Clifford."  Observe,  he  now  began  to 
pi^eacli  this  neiv  doctrine,  justification  by  faith,  and  this 
is  the  first  person  to  whom  he  offered  salvation  bjj  faith 
alone.  This  deserves  special  notice,  and  it  is  worthy 
of  a  passing  remark,  that  his  new  principle  is  subjected 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.         47 

to  a  pretty  severe  test  at  the  commencement,  but  it  is 
not  the  first  time  that  it  has  been  thus  tested,  and  that 
with  glorious  success,  for  it  saved  "  the  chief  of  sinners" 
long  before,  and  we  shall  see  it  equally  successful  pretty 
soon.  In  the  meantime,  he  tells  us,  on  the  23d,  "  The 
next  morning  I  began  the  Geeek  Testament  again, 
resolving  to  abide  by  the  *  law  and  the  testimony,'  and 
being  confident  that  God  would  hereby  show  me  whether 
this  doctrine  was  of  God."  On  another  condemned 
criminal  in  "  the  Castle  "  at  Oxford,  he  tested  his  new 
doctrine.  "  After  preaching,"  he  says,  "  we  prayed  with 
the  condemned  man,  first  in  several  forms  of  prayer, 
and  then  in  such  words  as  were  given  us  in  that  hour. 
He  kneeled  down  in  much  heaviness  and  confusion, 
having  *uo  rest  in'  his  'bones  by  reason  of  his  sin.' 
After  a  space  he  rose  up,  and  eagerly  said,  *I  am  now 
ready  to  die.  I  know  Christ  has  taken  away  my  sins ; 
and  there  is  no  more  condemnation  for  me.'  The  same 
composed  cheerfulness  he  showed  when  he  was  carried 
to  execution;  and  in  his  last  moments  he  was  the  same, 
enjoying  a  perfect  peace,  in  confidence  that  he  was 
*  accepted  in  the  beloved.'  " 

His  philosophy  is  now  being  "  purged  away,"  and  the 
teachings  of  his  Greek  Testament  are  taking  the  place 
thereof.  Here  is  a  triumph  by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ, 
that  his  philosophy  never  could  boast  of,  and  that  his 
logic  was  equally  incapable  of.  On  the  first  of  April 
we  have  another  very  encouraging  record  ;  here  it  is  : 
"  Being  at  Mr.  Fox's  Society,  my  heart  was  so  full  that 
I  could  not  confine  myself  to  the  forms  of  prayer  which 
we  were  accustomed  to  use  there.  Neither  do  I  pur- 
pose to  be  confined  to  them  any  more ;  but  to  pray 


48       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

indifferently,  witli  a  form  or  without,  as  I  may  fmd 
suitable  to  particular  occasions."  It  is  evident  that  he 
is  being  still  further  purged,  not  only  from  his  philoso- 
phy, but  also  from  his  ritualism  and  mere  formalism  ; 
and  it  is  observable,  that,  just  in  proportion  as  human 
inventions  are  purged  away,  Christ  and  his  Gospel 
take  their  place ;  so  that  we  already  have  some  strik- 
ing indications  of  the  approach  of  the  peculiar  powei\ 
In  the  name  of  Jesus  he  offers  pardon  to  a  poor  male- 
factor, and  in  the  same  name  he  offers  prayer  for  him, 
and  his  heart  is  so  full  that  he  cannot  confine  himself 
to  the  forms  of  prayer,  nor  will  he  do  so  any  more  ; 
and  the  prayer  that  came  from  the  full  heart,  instead 
of  coming  from  the  Prayer  Book,  is  answered,  and  the 
poor  sinner  is  pardoned,  is  happy,  and  dies  without 
fear.  It  was  thus  that  John  Wesley  was  taught  to 
sing. 

"  What  are  our  works  but  sin  and  death, 
Till  thou  thj  quick'ning  spirit  breathe  ? 
Thou  giv'st  the  power  thj  grace  to  move  ;    • 
Owond'rous  grace  !  0  boundless  love  ! 

"  How  can  it  be,  thou  heavenly  King, 
That  thou  should'st  us  to  glory  bring  ; 
Make  slaves  the  part'ners  of  thy  throne, 
Deck'd  with  a  never-fading  crown  ? 

"  Hence  our  hearts  melt,  our  eyes  o'erflow, 
Our  words  are  lost,  nor  will  we  know, 
Nor  will  we  think  of  aught  beside,  - 
My  Lord,  my  Love,  is  crucified." 

On  the  22d  of  April,  Bohler  and  Wesley  are  again 
in  close  conference,  and  the  latter  is  now  clearly  con- 


REFORMATION    OF    ElonTEEKTII  CEKTURY.        49 

vinced  of  the  nature  and  fruits  of  justifying  faith. 
"  But,"  he  says,  "  I  could  not  understand  how  this 
faith  should  be  given  in  a  moment ;  how  a  man  could 
at  once  be  thus  turned  from  darkness  to  light,  from  sin 
and  misery  to  righteousness  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 
I  searched  the  Scriptures  again,  touching  this  very 
thing,  particularly  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  but,  to  my 
utter  astonishment,  found  scarce  any  instance  there  of 
other  than  instantaneous  conversions  ;  scarce  any  so 
slow  as  that  of  St.  Paul,  who  was  three  days  in  the 
pangs  of  the  new  birth.  I  had  but  one  retreat  left, 
namely,  *  Thus,  I  grant  God  wrought  in  the  first  ages 
of  Christianity ;  but  the  times  are  changed.  AVhat 
reason  have  I  to  believe  that  he  works  in  the  same 
manner  now?'  But  on  Sunday  the  23d,  I  was'  beat 
out  of  this  retreat,  too,  by  the  concurring  evidence  of 
Beveral  living  witnesses,  who  testified  that  God  had 
thus  wrought  in  themselves,  giving  them  in  a  moment 
such  a  faith  in  the  blood  of  his  Son,  as  translated  them 
out  of  darkness  into  light,  out  of  sin  and  fear  into 
holiness  and  happiness.  Here  ended  my  disput- 
ing. I  could  now  only  cry  out,  'Lord,  help  thou  my 
unbelief.'  "  Bohler  and  the  New  Testament  are  now 
victorious,  and  Wesley  is  completely  conquered.  Again 
he  proposes  "  to  refrain  from  teaching  others,"  but 
Peter  will  not  submit  even  to  this ;  he  says,  "  Do  not 
hide  in  the  earth  the  talent  God  hath  given  you.'* 
This,  it  will  be  remembered,  is  very  different  teaching 
from  that  which  the  Moravians  afterwards  taught,  and 
to  which  Mr.  Wesley  utterly  refused  to  submit.  See  Jour- 
nal, vol.  iii.,  pp.  167, 186,  189, 190,  and  337.  When  the 
Moravians  presented  truth  to  him,  after  submitting  it 


60      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MAN. 

to  the  test  of  his  Greek  Testament,  he  embraced  it ; 
but  when  they  afterwards  introduced  error,  after  sub- 
mitting it  to  the  same  test,  he  promptly  and  firmly 
rejected  it.  This  deserves  notice ;  for  it  will  be  seen 
that  not  only  the  Church  of  England,  but  the  Mora- 
vians also,  departed  from  first  principles,  while  Mr. 
"Wesley  adhered  to  them.  In  compliance  with  the 
judicious  advice  which  Mr.  Bohler  now  gave  him,  he 
now  urged,  with  increased  earnestness,  the  great  truth, 
justification  by  faith,  and  that  in  private  as  well  as  in 
the  public  congregation.  Hence,  on  the  25th,  he  says, 
"  I  spoke  clearly  and  fully  at  Blendon  to  Mr.  De- 
lamotte's  family,  of  the  nature  and  fruits  of  faith. 
Mr.  Broughton  and  my  brother  were  there.  Mr. 
Brough ton's  great  objection  was,  he  could  never 
think  that  I  had  not  faith  who  had  done  and  suffered 
such  things.  My  brother  was  very  angry,  and  told 
me,  I  did  not  know  what  mischief  I  had  done  by 
talking  thus."  Had  Mr.  Wesley,  like  I\[r.  Broughton 
and  many  others,  inferred  his  justification  from  what 
he  had  done  and  suffered,  the  two  kindred  doctrines 
of  justification  by  faith,  and  the  direct  witness  of  the 
Spirit,  would  have  been  as  little  known  in  Methodism, 
as  they  are  in  some  other  isms  ;  or,  what  is  still  more 
likely,  Methodism  had  never  existed ;  or  if  it  had,  it 
would  have  existed  and  died,  destitute  of  the  peculiar 
power.  But,  thank  God,  he  did  not  rest  in  mere  theory 
and  unscriptural  inference,  as  a  substitute  for  experi- 
mental religion. 

But  we  will  now  for  a  few  moments,  turn  to  Charles 
Wesley,  who  also,  as  we  have  seen,  opposes  the  new 
doctrine,  so  called,  though  it  is  really  as  old  as  the  fall 


REFORMATION   OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         51 

of  man.  Nor  will  he  submit,  in  this  particular,  either 
to  his  brother  or  to  Peter  Bohler.  But  God  takes  a 
somewhat  different  method  with  him.  He  is  in  his 
defences  at  the  great  seat  of  learning,  Oxford ;  a  kind 
of  head  quarters,  then,  as  now,  for  the  army  to  which 
he  as  yet  belongs;  and  like  many  others,  he  is 
surrounded  with  strong  embankments  of  morality, 
learning  and  patronage  :  so  that  for  the  present,  even 
Peter  Bohler's  artillery  seems  to  make  but  little 
impression.  Just  now  he  is  seized  with  a  violent 
pleurisy,  and  John,  who  is  now  on  his  way  to  see  his 
brother  Samuel  at  Tiverton,  receives  a  message  inform- 
ing him  that  his  brother  Charles  is  dying  at  Oxford. 
He  hastens  thither,  and  finds  him  "  recovering  from  his 
pleurisy,  and  with  him  he  finds  Peter  Bohler.  But 
Peter  seems  to  make  but  little  impression  upon  those 
strong  embankments  within  which  Charles  has  taken 
refuo;e.  He  recovers  from  his  sickness,  and  makes  his 
way  to  London.  The  hand  of  God  is  in  this  also,  for 
he  is  more  accessible  here.  His  sickness  returns,  and 
John  is  again  obliged  to  suspend  his  labors,  and 
hasten  to  London  to  see  him.  Of  this  visit  he  makes 
the  following  record  in  his  Journal: — "May  1.  The 
return  of  my  brother's  illness  obliged  me  again  to 
hasten  to  London.  In  the  evening  I  found  him  at 
James  Hutton's,  better  as  to  his  health  than  I 
expected  ;  but  strongly  averse  to  what  he  called  '  the 
new  faith.'  This  evening  our  little  Society  began, 
which  afterwards  met  in  Fetter  Lane."  Here  follow  the 
rules  which  they  then  fixed  upon,  ten  in  all.  These 
rules  are  very  simple,  and  yet  quite  sufficient  for  such 
persons  as  were  designed  to  constitute  the  Society.  But 


52       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MAN. 

here  is  the  poiDt.  Eules,  or  Laws,  must  be  made  with 
reference  to  bad,  as  well  as  good  characters.  The  first 
rule  is  this,  "  That  we  will  meet  together  once  a  week 
to  'confess  our  faults  one  to  another,  and  pray  one  for 
another,  that  we  may  be  healed.' "  Fifth  rule.  "  That 
any  who  desire  to  be  admitted  into  this  Society  be 
asked,  What  are  your  reasons  for  desiring  this  ?  Will 
you  be  entirely  open,  using  no  kind  of  reserve?  Have 
you  any  objection  to  any  of  our  orders  ?"  After  two 
months'  trial,  if  there  was  no  objection,  the  proba- 
tioner was  admitted  into  the  Society.  Every  fourth 
Saturday  was  to  "  be  observed  as  a  day  of  general  iu' 
tercession  ;"  and  every  fourth  Sunday  evening,  from 
7  to  10,  they  were  to  hold  a  love-feast.  "  In  obedience 
to  the  command  of  God  by  St.  James,  and  by  the  ad- 
vice of  Peter  Bohler,"  these  Rules  were  agreed  to  ;  and 
here  these  great  reformers,  simple  as  children,  met  for 
a  time,  and  often  had  a  heaven  upon  earth,  till  the 
rules  proved  too  weak  for  the  devil  and  his  children, 
who  by-and-by  crept  in  among  them. 

But  we  must  now  return  to  Charles  Wesley,  who 
we  left  at  James  Hutton's,  sick  in  body,  and  obstinate 
enough  with  regard  to  what  he  called  "  the  new  faith." 
This  was  on  the  first  of  May.  On  the  19th  of  the 
same  month,  John  makes  the  following  record  in  his 
journal.  "  Friday  19th.  My  brother  had  a  second 
return  of  his  pleurisy.  A  few  of  us  spent  Saturday 
night  in  prayer."  On  the  following  day,  being  Whit- 
sunday, the  21st  of  May,  1738,  he  says,  "  I  received 
the  surprising  news  that  my  brother  found  rest  to  his 
soul.  His  bodily  strength  returned  also  from  that 
hour.     Who  is  so  great  a  God  as  our  God?"     From 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         53 

the  latter  end  of  February  to  the  21st  of  May,  he  has 
had  little  respite  from  sickness,  sometimes  apparently 
at  the  gate  of  death.  Meantime  he  is  plyed  with  the 
great  truths  which  he  was  so  slow  to  learn,  and  prayer 
was  continually  offered  on  his  behalf,  while  death 
looked  him  in  the  face,  as  it  did  his  brother  at  sea, 
when  the  winds  and  the  waves  striking  the  ship  roared 
like  "  American  thunder."  Finally,  his  foundation 
also  gave  way,  and  he  found  that  his  studies,  his 
learning,  his  morality,  and  his  preaching,  were  poor 
substitutes  for  the  atonement,  or  for  faith  in  Jesus.  At 
length  he  cried  for  mercy,  for  the  alone-sake  of  Jesus, 
like  any  other  sinner,  and  cast  himself  by  faith  upon 
the  atonement,  and  was  saved  by  grace.  Or,  as 
he  himself  expresses  it  in  the  following  beautiful 
lines : — 

■"  Faded  my  virtuous  show, 

My  form  without  the  power 
The  sin-convincing  Spirit  blew, 

And  blasted  every  flower . 

My  mouth  was  stopp'd,  and  shame 

Covered  my  guilty  face  ; 
I  fell  on  the  atoning  Lamb, 

And  I  was  saved  by  grace." 

Now  his  MiLse,  as  well  as  his  soul,  seems  to  be  quick- 
ened into  glorious  life.  O  how  sweetly  does  he  sing, 
and  how  vividly  and  forcibly  does  he  describe  both  his 
former  and  his  present  state.  How  sweetly  does  he 
now  pour  out  his  soul  in  that  beautiful  hymn,  of  which 
the  following  are  two  verses: 
5* 


54  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MAN. 

''  Long  my  imprisoned  spirit  lay, 

Fast  bound  in  sin  and  nature's  night; 

Thine  eye  diffused  a  quick'ning  ray : 

I  woke  ;  the  dungeon  flamed  with  light, 

My  chains  fell  off,  my  heart  was  free, 

I  rose   went  forth,  and  follow'd  thee. 

No  condemnation  now  I  dread, 

Jesus,  with  all  in  him,  is  mine ; 
Alive  in  him,  my  living  head, 

And  clothed  with  righteousness  divine; 
Bold  I  approach  the  eternal  throne, 
And  claim  the  crown,  through  Christ,  my  own. 

He  is  now  about  thirty  years  of  age;  he  has  been 
a  student  from  his  childhood ;  he  has  had  many  teachers, 
and  now  he  has  fairly  entered  the  school  of  Christ,  at 
whose  feet  we  now  leave  him  pouring  forth  his  heavenly 
numbers,  while  we  return  to  John,  whose  labors  seem 
to  abound  yet  more  and  more. 

He  seems  to  have  adopted  Deut.  vi.  7  for  his  model, 
only  he  takes  the  whole  human  race  for  his  family. 
His  grand  topics  are,  justification  by  faith,  and  the 
knowledge  of  the  fact  by  the  direct  witness  of  the  Spirit, 
corroborated  by  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  love,  peace,  hope, 
joy,  and  holy  living.  These  things  he  teaches  "  dili- 
gently," literally  adhering  to  the  above  model,  for  he 
teaches  "by  the  way,"  and  when  he  lieth  down,  and 
when  he  riseth  up ;  and  wherever  he  finds  an  open  door 
he  preaches  them  to  the  congregation.  But,  let  us  turn 
to  his  own  journal,  vol.  iii.  p.  67  "  Sunday  7.  I  preached 
at  St.  Lawrence's  in  the  morning,  and  afterwards  at  St. 
Katharine  Cree's.  I  was  enabled  to  speak  strong  words 
at  both,  and  was  therefore  the  less  surprised  at  being 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.         55 

informed  that  I  was  not  to  preach  any  more  in  either 
of  those  churches.  Tuesday  9.  I  preached  at  Great 
St.  Helen's  to  a  very  numerous  congregation  on,  'He 
that  spared  not  his  own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for 
us  all,  how  shall  he  not  with  him  also  freely  give  us  all 
things  T  My  heart  was  now  so  enlarged  to  declare  the 
love  of  God  to  all  that  were  oppressed  by  the  devil, 
that  I  did  not  wonder  in  the  least,  when  I  was  after- 
wards told,  'Sir,  you  must  preach  here  no  more.'"  On 
the  10th  we  find  the  following  entry,  "Mr.  Stonehouse, 
vicar  of  Islington,  was  convinced  of  the  truth  as  it  is 
in  Jesus.  From  this  time  till  Saturday  13th,  I  was 
sorrowful  and  very  heavy,  being  neither  able  to  read, 
nor  meditate,  nor  sing,  nor  pray,  nor  do  anything.  Yet 
I  was  a  little  refreshed  by  Peter  Bohler's  letter."  Here 
follows  the  letter.  In  it  he  guards  him  against  "  the 
sin  of  unbelief,"  and  urges  him  to  "conquer  it  this  very 
day."  He  talks  sweetly  of  the  love  of  Jesus,  saying, 
"O  how  great,  how  inexpressible,  how  unexhausted 
His  love !"  In  view  of  this  love  he  exhorts,  "  Delay 
not,  I  beseech  you,  to  believe  in  your  Jesus  Christ." 
"  Surely  he  is  now  ready  to  help ;  and  nothing  can  offend 
him  but  our  unbelief"  Notwithstanding  the  awful 
solitude,  sadness,  and  utter  helplessness  of  spirit,  above 
described,  "being  a  little  refreshed  by  Peter  Bohler's 
letter,"  he  is  up  and  at  it  again.  Hence  on  Sunday 
the  14th,  he  says,  "I  preached  in  the  morning  at  St. 
Ann's,  Aldersgate,  and  in  the  afternoon  at  the  Savoy 
Chapel,  free  salvation  by  faith  in  the  blood  of  Christ. 
I  was  quickly  apprised  that  at  St.  Ann's,  likewise,  I 
am  to  preach  no  more."  On  Sunday  the  21st,  the  day 
on  which  he  received  the  glad  tidings  of  his  brother's 


56       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

salvation,  he  heard  Dr.  Heylyn  preach  in  the  morning, 
and  afterward  assisted  him  in  administering  the  Sacra- 
ment of  the  Supper;  then  at  three,  in  the  afternoon  of 
the  same  day,  he  says,  "I  preached  at  St.  John's,  Wap- 
ping,  and  at  St.  Bennett's,  Paul's  Wharf,  in  the  evening. 
At  these  churches,  likewise,  I  am  to  preach  no  more." 
What  follows  is  exceedingly  touching,  especially  when 
his  peculiar  circumstances  are  considered.  He  says, 
"Monday,  Tuesday,  and  Wednesday,  I  had  continual 
sorrow  and  heaviness  in  my  heart." 

To  the  friend  to  whom  he  writes  "in  the  broken 
manner  he  Avas  able,"  he  says,  "  I  feel  what  you  say, 
(though  not  enough,)  for  I  am  under  the  same  con- 
demnation. I  see  that  the  whole  law  of  God  is  holy, 
just  and  good.  I  know  every  thought,  every  temper  of 
my  soul,  ought  to  bear  God's  image  and  superscription. 
But  how  am  I  fallen  from  the  glory  of  God !  I  feel 
that  *I  am  sold  under  sin.'  I  know  that  I  too  deserve 
nothing  but  wrath,  being  full  of  all  abomina.tions ;  and 
having  no  good  thing  in  me,  to  atone  for  them,  or  to 
remove  the  wrath  of  God.  All  my  words,  my  right- 
eousness, my  prayers,  need  an  atonement  for  them- 
selves. So  that  my  mouth  is  stopped ;  I  have  nothing 
to  plead.  God  is  holy;  I  am  unholy.  God  is  a  con- 
suming fire;  I  am  altogether  a  sinner,  meet  to  be  con- 
sumed. Yet  I  hear  a  voice  (and  is  it  not  the  voice  of 
God  ?)  saying,  '  Believe  and  thou  shalt  be  saved.  He 
that  believeth  is  passed  from  death  unto  life.  God  so 
loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
everlasting  life.'  O  let  no  one  deceive  us  by  vain 
words,  as  if  we  had  already  attained  this  faith !   By  its 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         57 

fruits  ye  shall  know.  Do  we  already  feel  '  peace  with 
God  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost?'  Does  the  Spirit  bear 
witness  with  our  spirit,  that  we  are  the  children  of 
God?'  Alas!  with  mine  he  does  not;  nor,  I  fear,  with 
yours.  O  thou  Saviour  of  men,  save  us  from  trusting 
in  anything  but  thee !  draw  us  after  thee.  Let  us  be 
emptied  of  ourselves,  and  then  fill  us  with  all  peace 
and  joy  in  believing;  and  let  nothing  separate  us  from 
thy  love,  in  time  or  in  eternity."  How  clearly  he  saw 
himself!  How  deep  his  contrition  !  How  comprehen- 
sive his  prayer !  Truly  he  is  now  purged  of  his  philo- 
sophy; so  much  so,  that  Peter  Bohler  himself,  one 
would  think,  must  be  satisfied.  The  following  remarka- 
ble lines,  in  which  Charles  Wesley  described  what  he 
passed  through  before  he  experienced  salvation,  as  ac- 
curately expresses  what  John  now  feels : — 

My  spirit  be  alarmed, 

And  brought  into  distress ; 
He  shook  and  bound  the  strong  man,  arm'd 

In  his  self-righteousness. 

Faded  my  virtuous  show, — 

My  form  without  the  power; 
The  sin-convincing  spirit  blew, 

And  blasted  every  flower." 

His  language,  as  given  in  the  above  letter,  shows 
how  terribly  he  was  shaken,  and  how  completely  every 
flower  of  self-righteousness  was  blasted.  "  I  feel  that  I 
am  'sold  under  sin.'  I  know  that  I  deserve  nothing 
but  wrath,  being  full  of  all  abominations ;  and  having 
no  good  thing  in  me,  to  atone  for  them,  or  remove  the 
wrath  of  God."  During  the  three  days  here  mentioned, 


58  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH    MEN. 

he  was  just  where  Paul  was  for  the  sa,me  length  of 
time.  Indeed,  it  is  easy  to  see  a  very  striking  resera- 
blance  between  the  case  of  John  Wesley  and  that  of 
Paul ;  only  John  Wesley,  I  think,  was  a  much  more 
amiable  character  before  his  conversion  than  was  Saul 
of  Tarsus ;  and  he  certainly  might  have  said,  as  truly 
as  did  Paul,  "  touching  the  righteousness  which  is  in 
the  law  blameless."  But  the  blessed  Jesus  stripped 
them  both  of  their  filthy  rags,  and  clothed  them  with 
the  garments  of  salvation ;  but  not  till  they  saw  and  feltj 
yea,  and  confessed,  both  ivhat  they  were,  and  where  they 
were.  "  I  feel  that  I  am  sold  under  sin.  I  know  that 
I  deserve  nothing  but  wrath,"  is  the  language  of  the 
man  for  whom  the  best  of  parents  and  the  best  of  earth- 
ly schools  had  done  their  utmost,  and  who  had  done 
the  utmost  he  could  for  himself  And  now,  when  the 
utmost  has  been  done  that  man  can  do, — after  the 
effort  has  continued  for  about  thirty -five  years,  we  find 
this  same  John  AVesley  sinking  in  utter  despair,  and 
exclaiming,  "  I  know  that  I,  too,  deserve  nothing  but 
wrath,  being  full  of  all  abominations."  But  just  then, 
the  sinking,  despairing,  helpless  spirit  says,  "  I  hear  a 
voice,  (and  is  it  not  the  voice  of  God)  saying,  *  Believe, 
and  thou  shalt  be  saved.'  "  O  glorious  voice !  How 
many,  as  well  as  poor  Wesley,  have  heard  that  same 
voice  when  just  at  the  point  of  despair ! 

But  let  us  follow  him  through  these  painful  and 
mysterious  struggles,  which  terminated  on  this  memo- 
rable day,  the  24th  of  May,  1738.  He  says,  "  I.  think 
it  was  about  five  this  morning,  that  I  opened  my  Testa- 
ment on  these  words,  2  Peter  i.  4,  Ta  megisa  hemin  kai 
timia  epaggelmata  dedaretai,  ina   dia  touton   genesthe 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.         59 

theias  hoinonoi  phuseos  :  *  There  are  given  unto  us 
exceeding  great  and  precious  promises,  even  that  ye 
should  be  partakers  of  the  Divine  nature.'  Just  as  I 
went  out,  I  opened  it  again  on  these  words,  '  Thou  art 
not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God.'  In  the  afternoon 
I  was  asked  to  go  to  St.  Paul's.  The  anthem  was, 
*  Out  of  the  deep  have  I  called  unto  thee,  O  Lord  : 
Lord,  hear  my  voice  ;  O  let  thine  ears  consider  well 
the  voice  of  my  complaint.'  In  the  evening  I  went 
very  unwillingly  to  a  Society,  in  Aldersgate  Street, 
where  one  was  reading  Luther's  preface  to  the  epistle 
to  the  Romans.  About  a  quarter  before  nine,  Avhilehe 
was  describing  the  change  which  God  works  in  the 
heart  through  faith  in  Christ,  I  felt  ray  heart  strangely 
warmed.  I  felt  I  did  trust  in  Christ,  in  Christ  alone 
for  salvation  :  and  assurance  was  given  me  that  he  had 
taken  away  my  sins,  even  mine,  and  saved  me  from  the 
law  of  sin  and  death.  I  began  to  pray  with  all 
my  might  for  those  who  had  in  a  more  especial  manner 
despitefully  used  me  and  persecuted  me.  I  then  testi- 
fied openly  to  all  there,  what  I  now  felt  first  in  my 
heart.  Thursday  25.  The  moment  I  awakened, 
'  Jesus  Master,'  was  in  my  heart  and  in  my  mouth ; 
and  I  found  all  my  strength  lay  in  keeping  my  eye 
fixed  upon  him,  and  my  soul  waiting  on  him  con- 
tinually. Being  again  at  St.  Paul's  in  the  afternoon, 
I  could  taste  the  good  word  of  God  in  the  anthem, 
which  began,  '  M}^  song  shall  be  always  of  the  loving 
kindness  of  the  Lord  :  with  my  mouth  will  I  ever  be 
showing  forth  thy  truth  from  one  generation  to 
another.'  " 

One  cannot  but  observe  how  appropriate  the  anthem 


bO       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

was  on  the  24tli,  and  again  on  the  25th.  I  imagine  I 
see  the  penitent  Wesley,  as  he  bows  in  that  old  cathe- 
dral, groaning  out  his  deep,  dolorous  plaint  before  the 
mercy  seat,  and  I  seem  to  hear  the  rich,  deep,  melli- 
fluous tones  of  music  as  they  fall  in  soft  cadence  upon 
his  ear,  and  most  touchingly  express  the  language  of 
his  heart — "  O  Lord,  hear  my  voice.  O  let  thine  ears 
consider  well  the  voice  of  my  complaint.'  And  the 
next  day  while,  as  a  pardoned  sinner,  he  worships  in 
the  same  place,  the  same  old  organ,  with  increasing 
sweetness  expresses  what  was  then  the  very  language 
of  his  heart.  "  My  song  shall  be  always  of  the  loving 
kindness  of  the  Lord :  with  my  mouth  will  I  ever  be 
showing  forth  thy  truth  from  one  generation  to 
another."  One  can  hardly  refrain  from  applying  to 
that  good  old  organ  on  that  occasion  what  is  said  of 
the  prophets  :  It  spoke  as  it  was  moved  by  the  Holy 
Ghost ;  for  the  sentiments  uttered  in  that  music,  and 
by  the  heart  and  lips  of  Wesley  on  that  occasion,  have 
proved  to  be  truly  prophetic  ;  for  Wesley  is,  and  still 
will  be,  "  Showing  forth  God's  truth  from  one  genera- 
tion to  another ;"  and  his  songs,  which  are  still  sung 
by  millions,  and  still  will  be,  are  "  always  of  the 
loving  kindness  of  the  Lord."  Hear  how  sweetly  he 
now  sings,  in  the  following  exquisitely  beautiful  hymn, 
437  — 

"  Now  I  have  found  the  ground  -wherein ; 

Sure  my  soul's  anchor  may  cigmain; 
The  wounds  of  Jesus  for  my  sin, 

Before  the  world's  foundation  Slain  ; 
"Whose  mercy  shall  unshaken  stay, 
When  heaven  and  earth  are  fled  away. 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         61 

Father,  thine  everlasting  grace 
Our  scanty  thought  surpasses  far ; 

Thine  heart  still  melts  with  tenderness  ; 
Thine  arms  of  love  still  open  are, 

Returning  sinners  to  receive, 

That  mercy  they  may  taste  and  live 

0  love,  thou  bottomless  abyss 

My  sins  are  swallowed  up  in  thee  j 

Covered  is  my  unrighteousness. 
Nor  spot  of  guilt  remains  on  me  ; 

While  Jesus'  blood,  through  earth  and  skies, 

Mercy,  free,  boundless  mercy,  cries. 

By  faith  I  plunge  me  in  this  sea, 
Here  is  my  hope,  my  joy,  my  rest; 

Hither,  when  hell  assails,  I  flee, 
I  look  into  my  Saviour's  breast  ■ 

Away,  sad  doubt,  and  anxious  fear, 

Mercy  is  all  that's  written  thei-e." 

Yes,  "  sad  doubt  and  anxious  fear  "  are  now  gone. 
We  no  more  hear  him  complain  of  "  continual  sorrow 
and  heaviness  of  heart."  From  his  conversion  till  he 
finished  his  illustrious  career,  a  period  of  almost  53 
years,  his  soul  was  kept  in  peace,  notwithstanding  the 
wonderfully  varied  and  trying  scenes  through  which 
he  was  almost  constantly  passing.  In  the  midst  of 
them  all  he  sweetly  sang : — 

*'  Though  waves  and  storms  go  o'er  my  head, 

Though  strength,  and  health,  and  friends  be  gone; 

Though  joys  be  withered  all,  and  dead. 
Though  every  comfort  be  withdrawn ; 

On  this  my  steadfast  soul  relies, — 

Father,  thy  mercy  never  dies." 

6 


62      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

Of  this  state  of  soul,  as  all  acquainted  with  him 
testify,  his  calm,  cheerful,  heavenly  countenance,  was 
the  sure  index. 

On  the  Sabbath  following  this  great  salvation,  he 
says,  "This  day  I  preached  in  the  morning  at  St. 
George's,  Bloomsbury,  on  "  This  is  the  victory  that 
overcometh  the  world,  even  our  faith  ;"  and  in  the 
afternoon  at  the  Chapel  in  Long  Acre,  on  God's  justi- 
fying the  ungodly ; — the  last  time  (I  understand)  I  am 
to  preach  at  either.    "  Not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt." 

To  this  day  that  Church  (with  a  few  honorable  ex- 
ceptions) prefers  Kitualism,  and  other  human  inven- 
tions, to  the  glorious  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith; 
for  preaching  which,  she  then  closed  her  doors  against 
John  Wesley ;  nor  would  he  find  as  much  favor  within 
her  pale  to-day,  as  do  ritualistic  and  semi-popish 
doctors. 

Now  John  Wesley  has  the  peculiar  power  for  which 
we  have  been  seeking,  and  we  shall  soon  see  it  glori- 
ously developed.  But  we  cannot  define,  or  even  think 
of,  power  abstractly.  Power  must  have  something  uj)on 
which  to  act ;  and  some  kind  of  machinery,  or  medium 
through  which  to  act.  The  lever,  the  power,  the  ful- 
crum, and  the  weight,  must  go  together  to  accomplish 
anything.  The  grand  power,  in  a  measure,  is  already 
committed  to  the  Wesley's,  but,  preparatory  to  efiicient 
operation  there  must  be  a  further  adjustment  of  the 
machinery,  and  some  little  hindrances  must  be  cleared 
out  of  the  way.  This  also  God  is  now  doing.  The 
medium  through  which  this  power  is  to  operate,  is  not 
ritualism.,  and  other  trumpery  of  human  invention.  How 
it  may  best  operate  John  Wesley  is  not  yet  quite  clear. 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.        63 

That  he  has  the  power,  he  knows ;  and  that  the  Churcli 
of  his  fathers  has  closed  her  doors  against  him,  he  also 
knows;  and  he  can,  and  does  say,  "Not  as  I  will,  but 
as  thou  wilt,"  and  God  will  adjust  other  matters  in 
due  time.  A  part  of  the  divine  arrangement,  just  at 
this  point,  is,  that  John  Wesley  shall  retire  for  a  short 
time  to  Germany.  Accordingly,  on  the  13th  of  June, 
1738,  he  embarked  at  London,  for  the  purpose  of  visit- 
ing Germany,  to  get  and  do  good,  and  by  the  blessing 
of  God,  these  ends  were  largely  accomplished,  as  his 
journal  shows.  But,  while  God  is  thus  leading  his 
servant  about,  and  more  fully  preparing  him  for  the 
great  work  before  him,  let  us  turn  to  another  chosen 
vessel,  who  also  is  to  be  one  of  the  first  depositories  of 
the  peculiar  power. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Whitefield's  Conversion — His  first  Sermon  and  its  effects — 
Providential  preparations  for  the  development  of  the  power 
— Whilefield  in  America,  J.  Wesley  in  Germany,  and  Charles 
Wesley  in  England — They  again  meet  in  London,  and  with 
about  60  other  persons  have  a  Lovefeast,  and  a  baptism  of  the 
Spirit — Wonderful  developments  of  the  power  in  London  and 
Bristol— Tho  first  Circuit— The  first  Methodist  Church- 
Numerous  incidents,  extraordinary  and  interesting — The  new 
way  works  so  well  the  old  parish  plan  is  abandoned — John 
Wesley  claims  the  world  for  his  parish — Summing  up — The 
conditions  of  power  are  specified  in  nine  particulars — The 
sum  ;  doctrine^  experience,  and  practice.  These  particulars  are 
not  peculiar  to  the  minister;  they  are  essential  to  the  Christian 
character — An  interesting  sketch  of  the  life  of  John  Nelson 
is  given  in  support  of  the  argument.  For  the  same  purpose 
facts  are  now  adduced  from  the  experience  of  Luther  and 
the  history  of  his  times — Finally,  facts  ai^  adduced  from 
Apostolic  times — Paul's  experience  is  shown  to  be  essentially 
one  with  those  previous/v  given. 

In  the  city  of  Gloucester,  in  the  month  of  December, 
1714,  George  Whitefield  was  born.  His  circumstances 
in  life  gave  no  indications  of  future  greatness.  But 
the  child  grew,  became  remarkably  serious,  and  served 
God  according  to  the  light  he  had.  Finally,  by  a  train 
of  remarkable  providences,  this  youth  made  his  way  to 
Oxford,  and  was  entered  at  Pembroke  College  when 
he  was  about  18  years  old.  "About  a  year  after," 
C64) 


P.EFORMATIOX    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         65 

says  Mr.  Wesley,  "  he  became  acquainted  with  the 
Methodists,  (so  called,)  whom  from  that  time  he  loved 
as  his  own  soul.  By  them  he  was  convinced  that  we 
*  must  be  born  again,'  or  outward  religion  would  profit 
us  nothing.  He  joined  with  them  in  fasting  on  Wed- 
nesdays and  Fridays,  in  visiting  the  sick  and  the 
prisoners,  and  in  gathering  up  the  very  fragments  of 
time  that  no  moment  might  be  lost."  *  * 

"  He  was  soon  tried  as  with  fire.  Not  only  was  his 
reputation  lost,  and  himself  forsaken  by  some  of  his 
dearest  friends :  but  he  was  exercised  with  inward 
trials,  and  those  of  the  severest  kind.  Many  nights  he 
lay- sleepless  ujDon  his  bed;  many  days  prostrate  upon 
the  ground.  But  after  he  had  groaned  several  months 
under  '  the  spirit  of  bondage,'  God  was  pleased  to  re- 
move the  heavy  load,  by  giving  him  '  the  spirit  of 
adoption,'  enabling  him,  through  a  living  faith,  to  lay 
hold  on  the  Son  of  his  love.  However,  it  was  thought 
needful,  for  the  recovery  of  his  health,  which  was  much 
impaired,  that  he  should  go  into  the  country.  He 
accordingly  went  to  Gloucester,  where  God  enabled 
him  to  awaken  several  young  persons." 

Being  now  urged  to  enter  into  holy  orders,  he  finally 
yielded  to  the  solicitations  of  the  Bishop,  and  was  or- 
dained deacon  on  Trinity  Sunday,  1736.  On  the  next 
Sunday  he  preached  his  first  sermon  in  the  Church  of 
St.  Mary  le  cript,  Gloucester,  to  a  crowded  audience, 
in  the  church  in  which  he  had  been  consecrated  to  God 
in  his  infancy.  A  short  extract  from  his  own  account 
of  this  sermon  is  worthy  of  a  place  here:  "Last  Sun- 
day, in  the  afternoon,  I  preached  my  first  sermon  in 
the  Church  of  St.  Mary  le  cript,  where  I  was  baptized, 
6* 


66       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

and  also  first  received  the  Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per. Curiosity,  as  you  may  easily  guess,  drew  a  large  con- 
gregation together  on  this  occasion.  The  sight,  at  first, 
a  little  awed  me ;  but  I  was  comforted  with  the  heart- 
felt sense  of  the  Divine  presence,  and  soon  found  the 
unspeakable  advantage  of  having  been  accustomed  to 
public  speaking  when  a  boy  at  school,  and  of  exhorting 
the  prisoners,  and  poor  people  at  their  private  houses, 
when  at  the  University.  By  these  means  I  was  kept 
from  being  daunted  overmuch.  As  I  proceeded  I  per- 
ceived the  fire  kindled,  till  at  last,  though  so  young, 
and  in  the  midst  of  a  crowd  who  knew  me  when  in  my 
childish  days,  I  trust  I  was  enabled  to  speak  with  some 
degree  of  Gospel  authority.  Some  few  mocked,  but 
most  seemed  for  the  present  struck  ;  and  I  have  since 
learned  that  a  complaint  was  made  to  the  Bishop  that 
I  drove  fifteen  mad  the  first  sermon.  The  worthy  pre- 
late wished  the  madness  might  not  be  forgotten  before 
next  Sunday."  This  extract  I  take  from  the  Christian 
Guardiayi  of  Dec.  5,  1866.  It  is  only  necessary  to  say 
that  the  facts  here  recorded  give  striking  evidence  that 
Whitefield  had  already  a  considerable  measure  of  the 
'peculiar  power! 

The  same  providence  that  led  the  two  Wesleys  to 
America,  now  leads  Whitefield  to  the  same  field  of 
labor;  so  that  in  1738  we  find  George  Whitefield  in 
America,  John  Wesley  in  Germany,  and  Charles  Wes- 
ley in  England,  the  latter  laboring  principally  at  Lon- 
don and  Oxford.  In  this  way  God  seems  to  indicate 
that  the  world  is  their  parish,  as  John  Wesley  after- 
wards claimed  it  to  be;  hence  they  already  pre-empt 
both  hemispheres  as  God's  inheritance,  and  as  the  fu- 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         67 

ture  possession  of  his  church.  For  the  development  of 
the  peculiar  power,  nothing  less  than  the  whole  world 
was  sufficient ;  and  it  is  a  fact  that  from  this  time  the 
work  of  culture  has  been  gloriously  progressing  in  the 
vast  desert  of  the  world ;  so  that  now  it  is  fast  becom- 
ing the  garden  of  the  Lord. 

In  December  of  this  year,  John  Wesley  and  George 
Whitefield  again  meet  in  London.  "  Hearing  that  Mr. 
Whitefield  was  arrived  from  Georgia,"  says  Mr.  Wes- 
ley, "  I  hastened  to  London,  and  on  Tuesday,  12,  God 
gave  us  once  more  to  take  sweet  counsel  together."  On 
the  1st  of  January,  1739,  we  once  more  find  John  and 
Charles  Wesley,  and  George  Whitefield  all  together  in 
London ;  and  we  shall  soon  see  a  grand  development 
of  the  peculiar  power.  "Monday,  Jan.  1,  1739,"  says 
Mr.  Wesley,  in  his  Journal,  "  Messrs.  Hall,  Kinchin, 
Ingham,  Whitefield,  Hutchins,  and  my  brother  Charles, 
were  present  at  our  love-feast  in  Fetter-lane,  with  about 
sixty  of  our  brethren.  About  three  in  the  morning,  as 
we  were  continuing  instant  in  prayer,  the  power  of  God 
came  mightily  upon  us,  insomuch  that  many  cried  out 
for  exceeding  joy,  and  many  fell  to  the  ground.  As 
soon  as  we  recovered  a  little  from  that  aw^e  and  amaze- 
ment at  the  presence  of  his  Majesty,  we  broke  out  with 
one  voice,  *  We  praise  thee,  O  God  ;  we  acknowledge 
thee  to  be  the  Lord.'  "  One  might  compare  this  with 
Acts  iv.  31 ;  nor  is  the  history  preceding  and  following 
in  each  case,  less  similar.  I  think  this  is  the  first  in- 
stance in  Methodist  history  of  saints  falling  down  in 
the  meeting  under  the  power  of  God.  We  shall  soon 
see  sinners  fall  under  the  same  powder,  but  it  is  worthy 
of  remark  that  the  saints  fell  first:   this  has  always 


68  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

been  the  order,  first  the  saints,  then  the  sinners.  A 
great  many  forget  this  order,  or  would  have  God  to  re- 
verse it ;  nay,  they  seem  to  expect  it  to  fall  upon  the 
sinner  only,  and  never  seem  to  imagine  that  they  need 
the  baptism  at  all ;  whereas  the  power  must  always 
come  upon  the  church  before  it  can  come  upon  the 
world.  It  is  evident  that  He  who  formerly  prepared 
his  people  at  Jerusalem,  for  the  work  upon  which  they 
were  about  to  enter,  is  now  preparing  his  servants  at 
London  for  a  similar  work.  Being  thus  prepared, 
these  holy  men  went  forth  and  made  full  proof  of  their 
ministry,  first  in  London,  as  the  Apostles  did  in  Jeru- 
salem, after  they  were  endued  with  power  from  on  high^ 
as  these  men  now  were;  and  their  immense  labors,  and 
the  results  thereof,  were  alike  wonderful.  London  ia 
stirred  now  as  Jerusalem  was  of  old.  Whitefield  flies 
from  church  to  church,  and  the  congregations  so  in- 
crease that  no  church  will  hold  the  multitudes  that  fol- 
low him.  This  fact  first  suggested  the  thought  of 
preaching  in  the  open  air.  "  But,"  says  Mr.  Wesley, 
(Sermon  53,  p.  472,)  "  when  he  mentioned  it  to  some 
of  his  friends,  they  judged  it  to  be  mere  madness;"  so 
he  did  not  carry  it  into  execution  till  he  left  London. 
He  now  flies  from  London  to  Bristol,  like  Paul  from 
Jerusalem  to  Illyricum,  and  at  Bristol  we  leave  him 
for  the  present,  and  will  now  turn  to  the  only  man  liv- 
ing that  could  compete  with  him  at  this  time,  viz., 
John  Wesley. 

We  will  now  follow^  John  a  little  while,  that  we  may 
mark  the  peculiar  power  in  its  wonderful  developments. 
"Sunday,  21.  We  were  surprised  in  the  evening, 
while   I  was  expounding  in  the   Minories.  ^  A   well- 


.     REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.  69 

dressed  middle-aged  woman  suddenly  cried  out  as  in 
the  agonies  of  death.  She  continued  so  to  do  for  some 
time,  with  all  the  signs  of  the  sharpest  anguish  of  spirit. 
When  she  was  a  little  recovered,  I  desired  her  to  call 
upon  me  the  next  day.  She  then  told  me,  that  about 
three  years  before,  she  was  under  strong  convictions  of 
sin,  and  such  terror  of  mind  that  she  had  no  comfort  in 
anything,  nor  any  rest  day  or  night ;  that  she  sent  for 
the  Minister  of  her  parish,  and  told  him  the  distress 
she  was  in,  upon  which  he  told  her  husband  that  she 
was  stark  mad,  and  advised  him  to  send  for  a  physician 
immediately.  A  physician  was  sent  for  accordingly, 
who  ordered  her  to  be  blooded,  blistered,  and  so  on.'* 
Truly  the  physician,  the  husband,  and  the  minister  of 
the  parish,  were  "  all  physicians  of  no  value,"  and  one 
cannot  but  pity  the  poor  woman  that  fell  into  their 
hands,  especially  when  it  is  remembered  that  she  had 
no  better  physicians  for  "  about  three  years."  Now, 
however,  she  falls  into  the  hands  of  him  who  says,  the 
world  is  his  parish,  and  he  directs  her  to  the  Great 
Physician,  and  she  is  healed. 

Now  Mr.  Wesley  is  urged  to  go  to  Oxford,  and  there 
we  find  him  on  March  the  second.  Of  this  visit  he 
makes  the  following  record : — "  A  few  names  I  found 
here  also  who  had  not  denied  the  faith,  neither  been 
ashamed  of  their  Lord,  even  in  the  midst  of  a  perverse 
generation.  And  every  day  we  were  together  we  had 
a  convincing  proof,  such  as  it  had  not  before  entered 
into  our  hearts  to  conceive,  that  '  He  is  able  to  save 
unto  the  uttermost  all  that  come  to  God  through  Him.' 
One  of  the  most  surprising  instances  of  his  power  which 
I  ever  remember  to  have  seen,  was  on  the  Tuesday 


70      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

following,  when  I  visited  one  who  was  above  measure 
enraged  at  this  new  way,  and  zealous  in  opposing  it. 
Finding  argument  to  be  of  no  other  effect  than  to  in- 
flame her  more  and  more,  I  broke  off  the  dispute,  and 
desired  we  might  join  in  prayer,  which  she  so  far  con- 
sented to  as  to  kneel  down.  In  a  few  minutes  she  fell 
into  an  extreme  agony,  both  of  body  and  soul,  and 
soon  after  cried  out  with  the  utmost  earnestness,  '  Now 
I  know  I  am  forgiven  for  Christ's  sake.'  Many  other 
words  she  uttered  to  the  same  effect,  witnessing  a  hope 
full  of  immortality.  And  from  that  hour  God  hath 
set  her  face  as  a  flint  to  declare  the  faith  which  before 
she  persecuted."  Soon  after,  he  had  similar  displays 
of  this  power  in  the  house  of  this  w^oman,  who  now 
preached  to  her  neighbors  as  the  Samaritan  woman 
had  to  hers  long  before.  John  Wesley,  too,  is  soon 
in  the  midst  of  them,  preaching  the  "new  way,"  and 
"one  who  sat  at  a  distance,  felt,  as  it  were,  the  piercing 
of  a  sword,  and  before  she  could  be  brought  to  another 
house,  whither  I  was  going,  could  not  avoid  crying  out 
aloud,  even  in  the  street.  But  no  sooner  had  we  made 
our  request  known  to  God,  than  he  sent  her  help  from 
his  holy  place."  Truly  the  peculiar  power  is  now 
exerting  itself  gloriously;  but  we  "shall  see  greater 
things  than  these,"  for  the  machinery  is  not  yet  in 
perfect  working  order,  nor  are  all  the  hindrances  yet 
taken  out  of  the  way:  human  inventions  and  divine 
ordinances  are  not  yet  clearly  distinguished.  But  God 
is  leading  his  servants  as  they  are  "able  to  bear  it;" 
he  is  leading  just  as  fast  as  they  are  able  to  follow.  It 
is  now  clearly  seen,  however,  at  least  by  some,  that  the 
"new  way"  is  a  decided  improvement  upon  the  old 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         71 

practice  of  blood  letting  and  blistering!  And  it  is  even 
preferable  to  John  Wesley's  arguments,  logical  though 
they  were;  for  they,  too,  proved  a  failure,  a  perfect 
failure;  only  tending  "to  inflame  more  and  more!" 
But  the  "new  way"  worked  like  a  charm,  giving 
"convincing  proof,  such  as  it  had  not  before  entered 
into  their  hearts  to  conceive,  that  'He  is  able  to  save 
unto  the  uttermost  all  that  come  to  God  through  him.'  " 
But  the  devil  is  also  working  in  his  way,  nor  is  it  a 
new  way,  any  more  than  is  that  in  which  God  is  work- 
ing, though  ignorant  people  call  it  new,  just  as  they 
do  God's  way,  though  both  are  old  ways,  not  new. 
On  the  27th,  he  says,  "  I  was  with  two  persons,  who 
I  fear,  are  properly  enthusiasts.  For,  first,  they  think 
to  attain  the  end  without  the  means  ;  which  is  enthu- 
siasm, properly  so  called.  Again,  they  think  them- 
selves inspired  of  God,  and  are  not.  But  false,  imagi- 
nary inspiration  is  enthusiasm.  That  there  is  only 
imaginary  inspiration  appears  hence,  it  contradicts  the 
Law  and  the  Testimony."  If  such  reasoning  is  lost 
upon  enthusiasts,  as  it  usually  is,  it  may  be  very  useful 
to  those  who  have  not  yet  fallen  into  that  snare  of  the 
devil.  It  is  quite  evident,  however,  that  the  old  enemy 
could  not  take  John  Wesley  in  that  snare,  nor  was 
this  old  deceiver  any  more  successful  when  he 
approached  him  in  the  shape  of  a  "  French  prophet." 
An  instance  of  this  kind  he  mentions  on  the  28th  of 
this  month.  "  Having  been  long  importuned  thereto," 
he  says,  "  I  went  about  five  in  the  evening,  with  four 
or  five  of  my  friends,  to  a  house  where  was  one  of 
those  commonly  called  French  prophets.  After  a  time 
she   came   in.     She   seemed   about  four  or  five  and 


72       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

twenty,  of  an  agreeable  speech  and  behavior.  She 
asked  why  we  came.  I  said,  *  to  try  the  spirits  whether 
they  be  of  God.'  Presently  after  she  leaned  back  in 
her  chair,  and  seemed  to  have  strong  workings  in  her 
breast,  with  deep  sighings  intermixed.  Her  head,  and 
hands,  and  by  turns  every  part  of  her  body  seemed 
also  to  be  in  a  kind  of  convulsive  motion."  After  a 
time  she  began  to  speak,  and  quoted  scripture  largely, 
and  "  all,"  says  Mr.  Wesley,  "  as  in  the  person  of 
God."  Finally,  "  two  or  three  of  our  company  were 
much  affected  and  believed  she  spoke  by  the  Spirit  of 
God.  But  this  was  in  no  wise  clear  to  me."  Here 
follow  his  reasons,  which  like  those  specified  in  the 
case  previously  mentioned,  are  conclusive.  I  have 
mentioned  these  cases  to  show  the  workings  of  the 
devil,  and  to  show  how  Mr.  Wesley  foiled  all  his 
workings,  by  Scripture  and  sound  judgment,  and  also, 
to  show  that  modern  spiritualism  has  the  same  devil 
for  its  author  that  those  workings  had.  I  wish  also  to 
call  attention  to  the  fact,  that  those  workings,  which 
he  rightly  attributed  to  the  Spirit  of  God,  were  essen- 
tially different  from  these  clumsy  imitations  by  the 
devil,  especially  as  to  the  workings,  the  pretensions  and 
the  results.  Indeed,  it  sometimes  occurs  that  when  the 
sinner  is  coming  to  Jesus,  the  last  struggles  of  the 
devil,  before  being  cast  out,  sometimes  produce  effects 
upon  the  body  similar  to  those  produced  on  the  body 
of  the  pretended  prophet,  and  that  of  the  modern 
spiritualist ;  but  nobody  pretends  that  this  is  the  work 
of  the  spirit  of  God,  nor  do  such  persons  make  any 
such  pretensions  as  do  the  pretended  prophets ;  more- 
over, the  result  in  such  cases  is  the  salvation  of  the 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         73 

individual,  who  afterward  is  found  humbly  seated  at 
the  feet  of  Jesus  "clothed  and  in  his  right  mind;" 
while  spiritualists  and  false  prophets,  particularly 
"  mediums,"  continue  to  be  the  subjects  of  such  diabol- 
ical influences,  from  time  to  time,  but  converted 
people  never,  their  characteristics  are  sobriety,  right- 
eousness, and  godliness,  "  in  this  present  world." 

While  John  Wesley  was  thus  laboring  with  joritcZe/ice, 
energy,  and  success;  and  pushing  the  battle  to  the  very 
gate  of  the  enemy,  particularly  in  London  and  Oxford, 
Charles  was  following  with  cautious  step,  though  with 
zeal  and  holy  joy.  As  for  Whitefield,  he  was  in  Bristol 
what  Philip  was  in  Samaria,  in  Bristol  as  in  Samaria, 
"there  was  great  joy ;"  and  there  was  considerable  alarm 
also,  in  view  of  his  wonderful  movements,  and  not  a  little 
opposition.  But  the  opposition  presented  to  his  rapid 
and  powerful  movements  seemed  only  to  accelerate  the 
motion  ;  for,  "  finding  all  the  church  doors  to  be  closed 
in  Bristol,  on  Wednesday  21st,  at  three  in  the  after- 
noon he  went  to  Kingswood,  and  preached  in  the  open 
air  to  near  two  thousand  people.  On  Friday  he 
preached  thereto  four  or  five  thousand;  and  on  Sun- 
day to  (it  was  supposed,)  ten  thousand.  The  number 
continually  increased  all  the  time  he  stayed  in  Bristol ; 
and  a  flame  of  holy  love  was  kindled,  which  will  not 
easily  be  put  out."  (Wesley's  Sermons  vol.  1,  p.  472.) 
Having  now  discovered  the  way  to  outflank  the  enemy, 
namely,  by  taking  to  the  open  air  when  the  churches 
were  closed  against  him,  or  when  they  would  not  con- 
tain the  vast  crowds  desiring  to  hear  the  word  of  life, 
he  is  determined  to  attack  London  again.  At  the 
same  time,  he  desires  to  keep  the  ground  already  taken 
7 


74  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

in  Bristol  and  Kingswood,  and  to  have  the  aggressive 
march  continued.  Hence  he  writes  John  Wesley  with 
great  urgency,  to  come  to  Bristol  without  delay.  As 
John  had  also  out-flanked  the  enemy,  and  taken 
advanced  positions  of  great  importance,  both  in  Lon- 
don and  Oxford,  he  hesitated  to  leave  London  at 
present;  and  his  brother  Charles  and  others  decidedly 
objected.  But  after  consultation  and  prayer,  they  all 
decided  to  allow  their  leader  to  depart,  and  Mr.  Wes- 
ley himself,  at  length  recognized  the  call  as  the  call  of 
God.  Accordingly,  he  left  London,  and  on  Saturday, 
31st  March,  reached  Bristol,  and  was  soon  in  consulta- 
tion with  Whitefield,  who,  of  course,  told  him  what 
great  things  God  had  been  doing ;  and  leaving  this 
important  charge  in  the  hands  of  his  friend,  Mr. 
Whitefield  departed  for  London. 

Following  these  great  j^eformers  in  their  wonderful 
career,  one  is  forcibly  reminded  of  Luther  and  Melanc- 
thon,  nor  are  the  workings  of  Providence  very  dissimi- 
lar in  each  case.  The  same  Providence  that  guided 
and  defended  the  German  reformers,  now  guides  and 
defends  these  English  reformers. 

But  let  us  hear  Mr.  Wesley's  reflections  when  com- 
mencing "  this  new  period"  of  his  life. 

[March,  1739.]  "Saturday  31.  In  the  evening  I 
met  Mr.  Whitefield.  I  could  scarce  reconcile  myself 
at  first  to  this  strange  way  of  preaching  in  the  fields,  of 
which  he  set  me  an  example  on  Sunday ;  having  been 
all  my  life  (till  very  lately)  so  tenacious  of  every  point 
relating  to  decency  and  order,  that  I  should  have 
thought  the  saving  of  souls  almost  a  sin,  if  it  had  not 
been  done  in  a  church,"  that  is,  a  certain  building  con- 


refoi^matio:n  of  eighteenth  century.      75 

secrated  by  a  bishop !  "  Till  very  lately,"  his  conver- 
sion, and  still  more  lately,  the  baptism  which  he  expe- 
rienced in  the  love-feast  in  Fetter-lane,  on  the  night  of 
the  first  of  January  last,  are  the  events  here  referred 
to,  as  also  the  teachings  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  he 
readily  received  after  experiencing  his  regenerating 
and  sanctifying  influences  on  the  occasion  here  speci- 
fied. And  now  being  pretty  well  freed  from  the  tram- 
mels of  human  invention,  and  from  the  prejudices  that 
they  had  produced,  as  also  from  all  the  slow  and  cum- 
bersome ceremonies  of  "  Church  order"  and  "  Church 
ofiicers,"  the  peculiar  power  will  have  a  chance  to  ope- 
rate unrestrained ;  and  we  may  expect  to  see  glorious 
doings.  To  this  end  let  us  follow  our  reformer  in  his 
onward  march.  On  Monday,  the  second  of  April,  with 
the  example  of  Whitefield  before  him,  and  the  example 
of  our  blessed  Lord  in  the  sermon  on  the  mount,  which 
he  had  been  expounding  the  previous  day,  he  says, 
"  At  four  in  the  afternoon,  I  submitted  to  be  more  vile, 
and  proclaimed  in  the  highways  the  glad  tidings  of 
salvation,  speaking  from  a  little  eminence  in  a  ground 
adjoining  to  the  city,  to  about  three  thousand  people." 
His  text  on  this  occasion  was,  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
is  upon  me,  &c.,  Luke  iv.,  18-19.  On  Wednesday,  the 
4th,  he  says,  "  At  Baptist  Mills,  (a  sort  of  suburb  or 
village  about  half  a  mile  from  Bristol,)  I  offered  the 
grace  of  God  to  about  fifteen  hundred  persons  from 
these  words,  *  I  will  heal  their  backslidings,  I  will  love 
them  freely.'  "  On  the  evening  of  each  day  it  was  his 
custom  to  hold  private,  or,  at  least,  less  public  meet- 
ings ;  at  which  he  made  it  his  special  business  to  care 
for  those  who  had  been  either  wounded,  or  wounded 


76       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

and  healed  in  the  open-air  services.  Hence  on  the 
evening  of  the  second  he  held  a  meeting  in  Baldwin 
street,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  fourth,  at  Baptist 
Mills,  it  would  seem.  He  says,  "three  women  agreed 
to  meet  together  weekly  with  the  same  intention  as 
those  at  London,  viz :  To  confess  their  faults  one  to 
another,  and  pray  one  for  another,  that  they  may  be 
healed.  At  eight,  four  young  men  agreed  to  meet  in 
pursuance  of  the  same  design."  This  nucleus  appears 
to  have  been  formed  in  a  different  place,  probably  in 
Bristol,  for  he  is  flying  from  place  to  place  almost  night 
and  day.  On  the  5th,  he  is  "  in  Castle  street,"  on  the 
6th,  "  in  Glouster-lane,"  on  the  7th,  Saturday,  "  at 
Weaver's  Hill,"  where  he  "  declared  that  Gospel  to  all, 
which  is  *  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one 
that  believeth.'  "  Well,  this  is  pretty  fair  for  the  first 
week  after  fairly  breaking  loose ;  and  now  comes  the 
first  Sabbath  upon  which  he  adopted  "this  strange  way 
of  preaching  in  the  fields." 

Of  this  Sabbath's  work  he  has  left  us  the  following 
record:  "Sunday  8th.  At  seven  in  the  morning  I 
preached  to  about  a  thousand  persons  at  Bristol,  and 
afterward  to  about  fifteen  hundred  on  the  top  of  Han- 
nam  Mount,  Kingswood.  I  called  to  them  in  the  words 
of  the  evangelical  prophet,  '  Ho  !  every  one  that  thirst- 
eth,  come  ye  to  the  waters;  come  and  buy  wine  and 
milk,  without  money  and  without  price.'  About  five 
thousand  were  at  Rose  Green,  in  the  afternoon,  (on 
the  other  side  of  Kingswood,)  among  whom  I  stood 
and  cried  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  'If  any  man  thirst, 
let  him  come  unto  me  and  drink.  He  that  believeth 
on  me,  as  the  Scripture  hath  said,  out  of  his  belly  shall 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.         77 

flow  rivers  of  living  water.' "  It  will  be  seen,  Wesley- 
is  now  fairly  broken  loose,  and  tha^t  "this  strange  way" 
works  just  as  well  in  his  hands  as  it  did  in  the  hands 
of  Whitefield.  On  this  holy  Sabbath  he  proclaimed 
the  "glad  tidings'*  in  Bristol,  Kingswood,  and  Rose 
Green,  to  some  seven  or  eight  thousand.  The  reader 
is  requested  carefully  to  mark  the  facts,  for  in  them 
we  shall  soon  see  wonderful  displays  of  the  peculiar 
power.  Light  bodies  may  be  quickly  put  to  the  highest 
speed,  but  heavy  bodies  move  slow  at  first.  On  the 
10th  he  is  invited  to  go  to  Bath,  where  he  offers  to 
about  1000  "the  free  grace  of  God  to  *heal  their  back- 
elidings.' "  And  next  morning  he  preached  to  over 
two  thousand  in  the  same  place;  and  in  the  afternoon 
to  about  the  same  number  at  Baptist  Mills,  from, 
"Christ  made  of  God  unto  us  wisdom,  and  righteous- 
ness, and  sanctification,  and  redemption.  "  "Saturday 
14th,"  he  says,  "I  preached  at  the  poor  house ;  three  or 
four  hundred  were  within,  and  more  than  twice  that 
number  without,  to  whom  I  explained  those  comfort- 
able words,  'when  they  had  nothing  to  pay,  he  frankly 
forgave  them  both. '  Sunday  15th,  I  explained  at 
seven,  to  five  or  six  thousand  persons,  the  story  of  the 
Pharisee  and  the  Publican.  About  three  thousand 
were  present  at  Hannam  Mount.  I  preached  at  New 
Gate  after  dinner  to  a  crowded  congregation.  Between 
five  and  six  we  went  to  Rose  Green  :  it  rained  hard  at 
Bristol,  but  not  a  drop  fell  on  us,  while  I  declared  to 
about  five  thousand, '  Christ,  our  wisdom,  and  righteous- 
ness, and  sanctification,  and  redemption. '  I  concluded 
the  day  by  showing  at  the  Society  in  Baldwin-street, 
that  '  his  blood  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin,' "  On  this 
7* 


78       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

day  he  preached  five  times,  and  three  of  his  congrega- 
tions amounted  to  about  thirteen  or  fourteen  thousand  ; 
how  many  were  in  the  other  two  congregations  we  are 
not  told.  This  was  pretty  good  for  one  Sabbath,  but 
the  highest  momentum  and  velocity  of  these  move* 
ments  is  not  yet  reached.  On  Tuesday  the  17th,  while 
preaching  in  a  house  in  Black-lane,  the  floor  gave  way 
under  the  weight  of  the  congregation,  the  principal 
prop  falling  down  with  a  "great  noise,"  apparently  in- 
dicating the  wonderful  yielding  of  false  props  that  was 
about  to  take  place ;  but  the  courageous  preacher  and 
the  anxious  hearers  continued  till  the  service  was  closed. 
On  the  same  evening,  while  expounding  the  fourth 
chapter  of  the  Acts,  in  Baldwin-street,  the  peculiar  power 
operated  gloriously.  Having  expounded,  Mr.  Wesley 
says,  "  We  then  called  upon  God  to  confirm  his  word. 
Immediately  one  cried  out  aloud,  with  the  utmost 
vehemence,  even  as  in  the  agonies  of  death.  But  we 
continued  in  prayer  till  'a  new  song  was  put  in  her 
mouth,  a  thanksgiving  to  our  God.'  Soon  after,  two 
other  persons  (well-known  in  this  place  as  laboring  to 
live  in  all  good  conscience  toward  all  men)  were  seized 
with  strong  pain,  and  constrained  to  '  roar  for  the  dis- 
quietness  of  their  heart.'  But  it  was  not  long  before 
they  likewise  burst  forth  in  praise  to  God  their  Saviour." 
Soon  after  another  "called  upon  God  as  out  of  the 
belly  of  hell,  and  in  a  short  time  he  also  was  over- 
whelmed with  joy  and  love,  knowing  that  God  had 
healed  his  backslidings.  So  many  living  witnesses 
hath  God  given  that  his  hand  is  still  '  stretched  out  to 
neal,'  and  that  *  signs  and  wonders  are  even  now  wrought 
by  his  holy  child   Jesus.' ''     On  the  18th  he  received 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.         79 

several  into  society,  one  of  them  a  Quaker,  who  had 
been  baptized  the  day  before.  One  was  scarcely  able 
to  speak  or  look  up,"  being  still  in  very  great  distress. 
But,  he  says,  "we  poured  out  our  complaint  before 
God"  till  "she  felt  in  herself  that  'being  justified  by 
faith  she  had  peace  with  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.'  "  On  the  21st,  he  says,  "At  Weaver's  Hall  a 
young  man  was  suddenly  seized  with  a  violent  tremb- 
ling all  over,  and  in  a  few  minutes  sunk  down  to  the 
ground.  But  we  ceased  not  calling  upon  God,  till  he 
raised  him  up  full  of  'peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy 
Ghost.'"  "On  Easter  day,"  he  says,  "it  being  a 
thorough  rain,  I  could  only  preach  at  Newgate  in  the 
morning,  and  two  in  the  afternoon;  in  a  house  near 
Hannam  Mount  at  eleven,  and  in  one  near  Rose  Green 
at  five.  At  the  Society  in  the  evening,  many  were  cut 
to  the  heart,  and  many  comforted."  "It  being  a 
thorough  rain,"  this  is  all  he  could  do  this  day,  that 
is,  preach  five  times,  and  "many  were  cut  to  the  heart 
and  many  comforted!" 

He  still  desires  to  preach  in  the  churches,  probably 
from  a  desire  to  reach  a  class  that  he  was  not  likely  to 
reach  in  the  open  air.  Hence,  being  repeatedly  urged 
to  go  to  Pensford,  about  five  miles  from  Bristol,  he 
"  sent  to  the  minister  to  ask  leave  to  preach  in  the 
church,"  but  having  waited  some  time,  and  having  re- 
ceived no  answer,  he  took  the  field  at  Pensford  also, 
where  on  the  23d  he  preached  from,  "  If  any  man 
thirst  let  him  come  unto  me  and  drink."  At  four  in 
the  afternoon,  he  "preached  in  a  convenient  place  near 
Bristol  to  about  three  thousand."  On  Tuesday  morn- 
ing, "  he  preached  at  Bath  to  about  a  thousand.     And 


80       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

at  four  in  the  afternoon  to  the  poor  colliers,  at  a  place 
about  the  middle  of  Kingswood,  called  Two-Mile-Hill. 
In  the  evening  at  Baldwin  street,  a  young  man,  after 
a  sharp,  though  short  agony,  both  of  body  and  mind, 
found  his  soul  filled  with  peace,  knowing  in  whom  he 
had  believed."  On  the  25th,  he  says,  "  while  I  was 
preaching  at  Newgate,  on  these  words,  'He  that  be- 
lieveth  hath  everlasting  life,'  I  was  insensibly  led,  with- 
out any  previous  design,  to  declare  strongly  and  ex- 
plicitly, that  God  willeth  *  all  men  to  be  thus  saved  ;* 
and  to  pray,  that  'if  this  were  not  the  truth  of  God,  he 
would  not  suffer  the  blind  to  go  out  of  the  way ;  but  if 
it  were,  he  would  bear  witness  to  his  word.'  Immedi- 
ately one,  and  another,  and  another,  sunk  to  the  earth; 
they  dropped  on  every  side  as  if  thunder-struck.  One 
of  them  cried  aloud.  We  besought  God  in  her  behalf, 
and  he  turned  her  heaviness  into  joy.  A  second  being 
in  the  same  agony,  we  called  upon  God  for  her  also ; 
and  he  spoke  peace  to  her  soul.  In  the  evening  I  was 
again  pressed  in  spirit  to  declare,  that  'Christ  gave 
himself  a  ransom  for  all.'  And  almost  before  we  called 
upon  him  to  set  to  his  seal,  he  answered.  One  was  so 
wounded  by  the  sword  of  the  spirit,  that  you  would 
have  imagined  she  could  not  live  a  moment.  But  im- 
mediately his  abundant  kindness  was  showed,  and  she 
loudly  sang  of  his  righteousness.  Friday  26.  All  New- 
gate rang  with  the  cries  of  those  whom  the  word  of  God 
cut  to  the  heart,  two  of  whom  were  in  a  moment  filled 
with  joy,  to  the  astonishment  of  those  who  beheld 
them."  On  Sunday,  the  28th,  he  commenced  the  day 
in  Bristol  by  preaching  to  about  four  thousand.  "At 
that  hour,"  he  says,  "  it  was  tliat  one  who  had  long 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         81 

continued  in  sin,  from  a  despair  of  finding  mercy,  re- 
ceived a  clear  sense  of  God's  pardoning  love,  and  power 
to  sin  no  more."  Being  invited  to  supply  the  place  of 
a  minister,  who  was  sick,  at  Clifton,  about  a  mile  from 
Bristol,  he  preached  there  twice,  and  ofiiciated  at  a 
burial  service.  Between  these  services  he  preached 
near  Hannam  Mount  to  about  three  thousand.  From 
Clifton  he  went  to  Rose  Green,  and  preached  to  about 
seven  thousand.  From  Rose  Green  he  w^ent  to  Glou- 
cester-lane Society,  and,  finally,  he  held  a  love-feast  in 
Baldwin  street.  Hence,  he  had  eight  services  this  day, 
including  the  burial  service.  Upon  this  he  has  simply 
this  comment,  "  O  how  has  God  renewed  my  strength, 
who  used  ten  years  ago  to  be  so  faint  and  weary  with 
preaching  ticice  in  one  day !"  It  should  be  observed 
that  Mr.  Wesley  is  always  careful  to  give  God  credit 
for  all  blessing,  both  temporal  and  spiritual.  Those 
who  are  ever  and  anon  elevating  natural  law^s  into  the 
place  of  Deity,  would  do  well  to  learn  a  lesson  from 
him  in  this  particular  also.  The  love-feast  here  men- 
tioned is  the  first  that  ever  was  held  in  Bristol,  and  it 
was  held  in  the  sacred  place  where  the  peculiar  power 
was  first  witnessed  in  its  extraordinary  operations,  con- 
vincing and  converting  sinners ;  and  it  came  in  answer 
to  the  special  prayer,  that  God  would  "confirm  his 
word."  He  preached  in  faith,  and  prayed  in  faith, 
and  the  result  was  as  here  stated. 

The  extraordinary  efiects  produced  upon  sinners 
gave  great  ofience  to  some.  One  of  these  was  a 
physician,  who  thought  it  was  fraud.  But  when  he 
saw  one  he  had  known  for  many  years,  and  who  was 
wonderfully  affected  while  Mr.  Wesley  was  preaching 


82       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

at  Newgate,  "  he  could  hardly  believe  his  own  eyes  and 
ears.  He  went  and  stood  close  to  her,  and  observed 
every  symptom,  till  great  drops  of  sweat  ran  down  her 
face,  and  all  her  bones  shook.  He  then  knew  not 
what  to  think,  being  clearly  convinced  it  was  not 
fraud,  nor  yet  any  natural  disorder.  But  when  her 
soul  and  body  were  healed  in  a  moment,  he  acknow- 
ledged the  finger  of  God.  Tuesday,  May  the  first, 
many  were  offended  again,  and,  indeed,  much  more 
than  before,  for  at  Baldwin  street,  my  voice  could 
scarce  be  heard  amidst  the  groanings  of  some,  and  the 
cries  of  others  calling  aloud  to  '  Him  that  is  mighty  to 
save.'  I  desired  all  that  were  sincere  Of  heart,  to 
beseech  with  me  the  Prince  exalted  for  us,  that  he 
would  '  proclaim  deliverance  to  the  captives.'  And 
he  soon  showed  that  he  heard  our  voice.  Many  of 
those  who  had  been  long  in  darkness  saw  the  dawn  of 
a  great  light,  and  ten  persons,  I  afterward  found,  then 
began  to  say  in  faith,  '  My  Lord  and  my  God.'  A 
Quaker  who  stood  by  was  not  a  little  displeased,  at 
the  dissimulation  of  those  creatures,  and  was  biting 
his  lips  and  knitting  his  brows,  when  he  dropped  down 
as  if  thunderstruck.  The  agony  he  was  in  was  even 
terrible  to  behold.  We  besought  God  not  to  lay  folly 
to  his  charge,  and  he  soon  lifted  up  his  head  and  cried 
aloud.  •'  Now  I  know  thou  art  a  prophet  of  the  Lord.'" 
Being  still  at  Newgate  on  the  Second  of  May,  where 
the  work  is  still  going  on  gloriously,  he  says,  "  I  was 
desired  to  step  into  a  house,  to  see  a  letter  wTote  against 
me,  as  a  *  deceiver  of  the  people '  by  teaching  that 
*  God  willeth  all  men  to  be  saved.'  One  who  had  long 
asserted  the  contrary  was  there,  when  a  young  woman 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY  83 

came  in  all  in  tears,  and  in  deep  anguish  of  spirit. 
She  said  she  had  been  reasoning  with  herself,  how  these 
things  could  be,  till  she  was  perplexed  more  and 
more  ;  and  she  now  found  that  the  spirit  of  God  was  de- 
parted from  her.  We  began  to  pray,  and  she  cried 
out,  '  He  is  come !  He  is  come  !  I  again  rejoice  in 
God  my  Saviour.'  Just  as  we  rose  from  giving  thanks, 
another  person  reeled  four  or  five  steps,  and  tben 
dropped  down.  We  prayed  with  her,  and  left  her 
strongly  convinced  of  sin,  and  earnestly  groaning  for 

deliverance."     The  case  of  "  J n  H n,"  as  it 

occurred  at  Baldwin  street  the  previous  night,  is 
worthy  of  notice.  "  He  was  (I  understood,)  a  man 
of  regular  life  and  conversation,  one  who  constantly 
attended  the  public  prayers  and  sacrament,  and  was 
zealous  for  the  church,  and  against  dissenters  of  every 
denomination.  Being  informed  that  the  people  fell 
into  strange  fits  at  the  societies,  he  came  to  see  and 
judge  for  himself.  But  he  was  less  satisfied  than 
before,  insomuch  that  he  went  about  to  his  acquaint- 
ances, one  after  another,  till  one  in  the  morning,  and 
labored  above  measure  to  convince  them  that  it  was  a 
delusion  of   the   devil.     We  were  going  home  when 

one  met  us  in  the  street  and  informed  us,  that  J n 

H.  was  fallen  raving  mad.  It  seems  that  he  had  sat 
down  to  dinner,  but  had  a  mind  to  end  a  sermon  he 
had  borrowed  on  Salvation  by  Faith.  In  reading  the 
last  page  he  changed  color,  fell  ofi*  his  chair,  and  began 
screaming  terribly,  and  beating  himself  against  the 
ground.  The  neighbors  were  alarmed  and  flocked 
together  to  the  house.  Between  one  and  two  I  came 
in,  and  found  him  on  the*  floor,  the  room  being  full  of 


84       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

people,  whom  his  wife  would  have  kept  out ;  but  he 
cried  aloud,  '  No,  let  them  all  come,  let  all  the  world 
see  the  just  judgment  of  God.'  Two  or  three  men 
were  holding  him  as  well  as  they  could.  He  immedi- 
ately fixed  his  eyes  on  me,  and  stretching  out  his  hand, 
cried,  *  Ay,  this  is  he  who  I  said  was  a  deceiver  of  the 
people,  but  God  has  overtaken  me.  I  said  it  was  all 
a  delusion,  but  this  is  no  delusion.'  He  then  roared 
out,  *  O  thou  devil !  Thou  cursed  devil !  Yea  thou 
legion  of  devils !  Thou  canst  not  stay.  Christ 
will  cast  thee  out.  I  know  his  work  is  begun. 
Tear  me  to  pieces  if  thou  wilt,  but  thou  canst 
not  hurt  me.'  He  then  beat  himself  against  the 
ground  again,  his  breast  heaving  at  the  same  time, 
as  in  the  pangs  of  death,  and  great  drops  of  sweat  trick- 
ling down  his  face.  We  all  took  ourselves  to  prayer. 
His  pangs  ceased,  and  both  his  body  and  soul  were  set 
at  liberty."  In  Luke  ix.  42,  a  similar  case  is  recorded. 
"  And  as  he  was  yet  coming,  the  devil  threw  him 
down  and  tare  him.  And  Jesus  rebuked  the  unclean 
spirit,  and  healed  the  child,  and  delivered  him  again 
to  his  father."  To  all  who  are  not  infidels,  this  text 
will  be  a  satisfactory  explanation  of  the  above  and 
similar  cases  recorded  by  Mr.  Wesley  and  others.  It 
was  to  "  cast  out  devils  and  heal  the  sick,"  that  Jesus 
sent  out  his  servants ;  and  for  this  very  purpose  it  was 
that  they  received  the  peculiar  power  of  which  we 
speak ;  not  to  advocate  certain  creeds  and  perform  cer- 
tain ceremonies  ;  any  ignoramus  or  imposter  could  do 
this,  but  none  but  such  as  have  the  peculiar  power  can 
"  cast  out  devils  and  heal  the  sick,"  the  sin-sick  soul. 
That  God  gives  this  power,  and  that  he  gives  it  for  this 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.         85 

very  purpose  is  the  unmistakable  declaration  of  his 
own  word.  See  Luke  ix.  1,  2.  Mark  iii.  13,  and  vii. 
7.  Also  Matt.  X.  1.  Bodily  sickness  was  also  healed 
as  a  sign  of  the  healing  of  the  soul.  And  in  the  above, 
and  many  other  cases  stated  by  Mr.  Wesley,  both  body 
and  soul  were  healed  in  an  instant.  As  to  who  they 
are  to  whom  Jesus  entrusts  this  power,  or  through 
whom  he  exerts  it,  we  shall  see  pretty  soon;  in  the 
meantime  we  will  follow  our  great  reformer  a  little 
farther  before  we  sum  up ;  for  we  desire  to  give  such 
an  array  of  facts  as  shall  be  overwhelming — yea,  irre- 
sistible. 

Though  we  must  pass  over  much  of  the  journal  that 
is  very  interesting,  we  will  not  omit  the  following,  on 
p.  131,  Vol.  Ill :  "  I  was  preparing  to  set  out  for  Pens- 
ford,  having  now  had  leave  to  preach  in  the  church, 
when  I  received  the  following  note :  'Sir,  our  minister 
having  been  informed  you  are  beside  yourself,  does, 
not  care  you  should  preach  in  any  of  his  churches.'  I 
went,  however,  and  on  Priest  Down,  about  half  a  mile 
from  Pensford,  preached  Christ  our  *  Wisdom,  right- 
eousness, sanctifi cation,  and  redemption.' "  Thus  he 
gave  the  people  of  Pensford  a  good  chance  to  judge 
whether  he  w^as  "  beside  himself"  We  think  that  it 
is  not  often  that  orazy  men  display  as  good  judgment 
as  John  Wesley  displayed  on  this  occasion,  and  on 
many  other  similar  occasions.  "  I  went  to  Bath,"  be 
continues,  "  but  was  not  suffered  to  be  in  the  meadow 
where  I  was  before,  which  occasioned  the  offer  of  a 
much  more  convenient  place,  where  I  preached  Christ 
to  about  a  thousand  souls."  The  9th  of  May,  1739,  is 
a  memorable  day,  because  on  that  day  the  first  move- 
8 


86       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

ment  was  made  to  build  the  first  Methodist  church,  or 
"  room,"  as  he  called  it,  that  ever  was  built  upon  the 
earth.  Little  did  Mr.  Wesley,  or  any  other  man,  then 
know  that  Methodist  churches  would  soon  dot  the  face 
of  the  earth  all  over.  Such,  however,  is  the  fact.  But 
let  us  hear  Mr.  Wesley's  own  record  of  this  interesting 
event.  "  Wednesday,  9th,  we  took  possession  of  a  piece 
of  ground  near  St.  James'  church-yard,  in  the  Horse- 
Fair,  where  it  was  designed  to  build  a  room,  large 
enough  to  contain  both  the  societies  of  Nicholas  and 
Baldwin  street,  and  such  of  their  acquaintance  as 
might  desire  to  be  present  with  them  at  such  times  as 
the  Scripture  was  expounded.  And  on  Saturday,  12th, 
the  first  stone  was  laid,  with  the  voice  of  praise  and 
thanksgiving."  *  *  *  *  "Money,  it  is  true,  I  had  not, 
nor  any  human  prospect  or  probability  of  procuring 
it;  but  I  knew  'the  earth  is  the  Lord's,  and  the  full- 
ness thereof;'  and  in  His  name  set  out,  nothing  doubt- 
ing." Some  would  consider  this  to  be  rather  a  singular 
provision  for  building  a  church !  but  the  sequel  shows 
that  it  proved  quite  suflicient.  Having  laid  the  founda-. 
tion  of  the  material  temple,  he  proceeds  with  the  spirit- 
ual temple  thus  :  "  In  the  evening  while  I  was  declar- 
ing that  Jesus  Christ  had  given  himself  a  ransom  for 
all,  three  persons,  almost  at  once,  sunk  down  as  dead, 
having  all  their  sins  set  in  array  before  them.  But  in 
a  short  time  they  were  raised  up,  and  knew  *  that  the 
Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world,' 
had  taken  away  their  sins."  He  now  tells  us  what  his 
"  ordinary  employment"  was  about  this  time,  specify- 
ing when  and  where  he  held  each  meeting;  but  for  the 
sake  of  brevity  we  have  counted,  and  will  simply  give 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.         87 

the  round  sum  of  each  day's  work,  viz :  On  Sunday  he 
preached  ^ve  times,  and  on  every  other  day  three  times, 
the  last  meeting  usually  long,  often  continuing  to  a 
very  late  hour — sometimes  till  morning — not  being 
able  to  dismiss ;  such  was  the  intensity  of  the  religious 
feeling.  This  is  what  he  calls  his  "  ordinary  employ- 
ment." Some  would  consider  it  extraordinary;  indeed, 
some  said  he  was  "  beside  himself!" 

Occasionally  he  selected  a  subject  that  fell  with  un- 
pleasing  weight  upon  objectors  and  persecutors.  The 
following  is  an  instance:  At  Newgate,  on  the  16th,  his 
text  was  John  vii.  7,  with  which  he  connected  the  12th 
verse.  A  sermon  preached  by  John  AVesley  from  these 
verses  must  have  been  as  scathing  to  some  of  his  coun- 
trymen, as  was  Stephen's  sermon  to  his  countrymen 
just  before  they  stoned  him  to  death ;  and  the  sequel 
seems  to  favor  such  an  opinion,  for  the  result  is  thus 
recorded  in  his  journal :  "  After  sermon,  I  was  informed 
that  the  sheriffs  had  ordered  I  should  preach  here,  for 
the  future,  but  once  a  week."  On  this  order  he  has 
simply  this  reflection,  "  Yea,  and  this  is  once  too  often 
*  if  he  deceiveth  the  people,'  but  if  otherwise  why  not 
once  a  day?"  From  this  keen,  and  yet  just,  rebuke 
one  can  easily  imagine  how  he  wielded  his  sharp  sword 
when  preaching  from  the  above  text.  Even  the  timidi- 
ty of  his  persecutors,  as  seen  in  their  going  so  far,  and 
yet  no  farther,  only  exposed  them  still  more  to  the 
keen  edge  of  the  sword  that  he  wielded.  His  coolness, 
his  clear,  penetrating  thought,  his  classical  polish,  and 
his  acute  logic,  only  tended  to  make  his  sharp  reproofs 
still  sharper,  especially  when  he  chose  to  use  a  little 
well-timed  wit,  which  he  frequently  did  with  fine  effect. 


88  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

While  the  work  was  thus  gloriously  progressing,  and 
signs  and  wonders  were  being  wrought  in  the  name  of 
Jesus,  Mr.  Wesley  was  called  upon  to  answer  numerous 
enquiries  and  objections,  both  verbal  and  written,  re- 
garding the  extraordinary  exercises  of  some.  After 
stating  at  some  length  his  answers  to  such  enquiries 
and  objections,  which  are  very  judicious,  he  says,  "  To- 
day, Monday,  21st,  our  Lord  answered  for  himself. 
For  while  I  was  enforcing  these  words,  *  Be  still  and 
know  that  I  am  God,'  he  began  to  make  bare  his  arm, 
not  in  a  close  room,  neither  in  private,  but  in  the  open 
air,  and  before  more  than  two  thousand  witnesses. 
One,  and  another,  and  another,  was  struck  to  the  earth, 
exceedingly  trembling  at  the  presence  of  his  power. 
Others  cried  with  a  loud  and  bitter  cry,  '  What  must 
we  do  to  be  saved  ?'  And  in  less  than  an  hour  seven 
persous,  wholly  unknown  to  me  till  that  time,  were  re- 
joicing and  singing,  and  with  all  their  might  giving 
thanks  to  the  God  of  their  salvation.  In  the  evening 
I  was  interrupted  at  Nicholas  street,  almost  as  soon  as 
I  had  begun  to  speak,  by  the  cries  of  one  who  was 
*  pricked  to  the  heart,'  and  strongly  groaned  for  pardon 
and  peace.  Yet  I  went  on  to  declare  what  God  had 
already  done  in  proof  of  that  important  truth,  that  he 
is  *  not  willing  any  should  perish,  but  that  all  should 
come  to  repentance.'  Another  person  dropped  down 
close  to  one  who  was  a  strong  asserter  of  the  contrary 
doctrine.  While  he  stood  astonished  at  the  sight,  a 
little  boy  near  him  was  seized  in  the  same  manner.  A 
young  man  who  stood  up  behind,  fixed  his  eyes  on  him, 
and  sank  down  himself  as  one  dead,  but  soon  began  to 
roar  out,  and  beat  himself  against  the  ground  so  that 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.        89 

six   men   could   scarcely  hold  him.     His   name  was 

Thomas  Maxfield.     Except  J n  H n,  I  never 

saw  one  so  torn  of  the  evil  one.  Meantime  many- 
others  began  to  cry  out  to  the  '  Saviour  of  all/  that  he 
would  come  and  help  them,  insomuch  that  all  the 
house  (and,  indeed  all  the  street  for  some  space)  was 
in  an  uproar.  But  we  continued  in  prayer,  and  before 
ten,  the  greater  part  found  rest  to  their  souls."  One 
being  seized  by  conviction,  "ran  out  of  the  society 
with  all  haste  that  she  might  not  expose  herself.  But 
the  hand  of  God  followed  her  still ;  so  that  after  going 
a  few  steps  she  was  forced  to  be  carried  home,  and 
when  there,  grew  worse  and  worse ;  she  was  in  a  violent 
agony  when  we  came.  We  called  upon  God  and  her 
soul  found  rest.  About  twelve,  I  was  greatly  impor- 
'  tuned  to  go  and  visit  one  more  person.  She  had  only 
one  struggle  after  we  came,  and  was  then  filled  with 
peace  and  joy.  I  think,  twenty-nine  in  all  had  their 
heaviness  turned  into  joy  this  day."  We  may  set  this 
down  as  a  pretty  good  day's  work,  ending  sometime 
after  midnight,  I  know  not  how  long,  only  it  was  about 
midnight  that  he  was  sent  for  to  see  this  last  person. 
But  he  is  not  laid  up  the  next  day ;  on  the  contrary,  we 
find  him  still  urging  on  with  unfaltering  step,  doing 
what  he  calls  his  "  ordinary  work,"  preaching  to 
about  a  thousand  in  Bath,  among  whom  were  "several 
gay  things,"  which,  with  others,  he  tried  to  alarm  from 
the  text,  "  Awake,  thou  that  sleepest,"  &c.  "  One 
came  in  deep  despair,  but  after  an  hour  spent  in 
prayer,  went  away  in  peace."  His  keen  eye  observing 
every  movement,  he  is  always  prepared  with  "a  por- 
tion in  due  season."  Hence  he  says,  "  Having  ob- 
8* 


90       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

served  in  many  a  zeal  which  did  not  suit  with  the  sweet- 
ness and  gentleness  of  love,  I  preached  at  Rose  Green, 
on  those  words,  *  Ye  know  not  what  manner  of  spirit  ye 
are  of;  for  the  Son  of  man  is  not  come  to  destroy 
men's  lives,  but  to  save  them.'  At  the  society  in  the 
evening,  eleven  were  deeply  convinced  of  sin,  and 
soon  after  comforted."  It  will  be  observed  that  the 
grain  cut  down  in  the  fields  during  the  day,  is  care- 
fully gatherd  and  secured  every  evening.  This  work 
was  done  "  in  the  societies."  To  all  who  labor  in  the 
same  vineyard  we  will  only  say,  "  go  thou  and  do 
likewise." 

"Monday,  28.  I  began  preaching  at  Weaver's  Hall, 
at  eleven  in  the  forenoon,  where  two  persons  were 
enabled  to  cry  out  in  faith,  *  My  Lord  and  my  God,'  as 
were  seven  during  the  sermon  in  the  afternoon,  before 
several  thousand  witnesses,  and  ten  in  the  evening  at 
Baldwin-street,  of  whom  two  were  children."  On  Sun- 
day, June  3rd,  he  preached  to  about  six  thousand 
persons  in  the  morning.  At  Hannam  Mount  he 
preached  in  the  forenoon  ;  in  the  afternoon  he  preached 
at  Rose  Green  to,  he  thinks,  "  eight  or  nine  thousand." 
"In  the  evening,"  he  says,  "not  being  permitted  to 
meet  in  Baldwin-street,  we  met  in  the  shell  of  our  new 
society  room.  The  Scripture  which  came  in  course  to 
be  explained,  was,  *  Marvel  not  if  the  w^orld  hate  you.' 
We  sung, 

'  Arm  of  the  Lord  awake,  awake  ; 

Thine  own  immortal  strength  put  on, 
With  terror  clothed,  hell's  kingdom  shake, 

And  cast  thy  foes  with  fury  down.'  " 

This  is  the  first  Methodist  Church  that  ever  was 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.        91 

built.  "  The  first  stone  was  laid  "  on  tlie  13th  of  May, 
1739,  and  the  first  sermon  was  preached  in  it  on  the 
3rd  of  June  following,  from  these  words:  "  Marvel  not 
if  the  world  hate  you."  Then  as  though  they  would 
hurl  defiance  at  the  world,  and  at  every  other  opposing 
power,  they  sang  as  above.  Charles  Wesley  is  the 
author  of  this  bold  and  spirited  effusion.  Hence  we 
learn  that,  even  at  this  early  period,  the  Methodists 
were  singing  his  hymns  in  their  public  worship ;  nor 
have  they  lacked  a  sufficient  variety  for  every  occasion, 
however  peculiar,  from  then  till  now.  "Not  being 
permitted  to  meet  in  Baldwin-Street,"  they  were  glad 
to  crowd  into  "  the  shell  "  of  their  new  building,  which 
the  zeal  of  these  young  converts,  and  that  of  their 
spiritual  father  had  hurried  up  in  so  short  a  time. 
And  joyfully  did  they  worship  in  "  the  shell "  of  that 
humble  structure,  for  God  was  with  them,  as  Mr. 
Wesley  testifies  in  these  words,  "  *  And  God,  even  our 
own  God,'  gave  us  his  blessing."  One  may  observe, 
that  as  they  were  driven  from  the  churches  of  their 
fathers,  and  even  from  meadows,  fields,  and  streets; 
yea,  and  even  from  commons,  God  always  opened  some 
other  place  for  them,  and  marvellously  overuled  these 
painful  circumstances  and  cruel  persecutions,  to  call 
out  their  energies,  and  hurry  forward  new  churches ; 
and  thus  forward  his  own  gracious  purposes,  in  sepa- 
rating them  from  what  would  only  have  entangled  his 
servants  in  their  glorious  work  of  founding  a  system 
that  was  to  fill  the  whole  earth ;  though  neither  its 
friends  nor  its  enemies  ever  dreamt  of  such  a  thing. 
It  was  this  that  led  John  Wesley  to  sing  so  sweetly 
of  God's  providence ;  take  a  verse  as  an  instance: 


92      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

*'  Leave  to  his  sov'reign  sway- 
To  choose  and  to  command  : 

So  shalt  thou  wond'ring  own  his  way, 
How  wise,  how  strong  his  hand 

Far,  far  above  thy  thought 
His  counsel  shall  appear, 

When  fully  he  the  work  hath  wrought 
That  caused  thy  needless  fear." 

-*  Observing  the  same  providence,  Charles  sang  as 
sweetly  as  his  brother,  and  much  more  abundantly. 
Take  a  single  verse  in  proof  of  this  also : 

"  When  passing  through  the  watery  deep, 

I  ask  in  faith  thy  promised  aid ; 
The  waves  an  awful  distance  keep. 

And  shrink  from  my  devoted  head : 
Fearless,  their  violence  I  dare; 
They  cannot  harm,  for  God  is  there." 

"While  Mr.  Wesley's  enemies  are  determined  to  drive 
him  from  open-air  preaching  as  well  as  from  the 
churches  of  his  fathers,  he  is  equally  determined  that 
they  shall  not.  In  proof  of  this  we  give  the  following 
quotations:  after  which  we  will  sum  up,  and  point  out 
the  peculiar  power,  whose  wonderful  developments  we 
have  been  witnessing.  "  Monday,  June  4. — Many 
came  to  me  and  earnestly  advised  me  not  to  preach 
abroad  in  the  afternoon,  because  there  was  a  combina- 
tion of  several  persons  who  threatened  terrible  things. 
This  report  being  spread  abroad,  brought  many  thither 
of  the  better  sort  of  people,  (so  called,)  and  added  I 
believe,  more  than  a  thousand  to  the  ordinary  congre- 
gation. The  Scripture  to  which,  not  my  choice,  but 
the  providence  of  God,  directed  me,  was,  'Fear  not 


REFORMATION    OP    EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.         93 

thou,  for  I  am  with  thee ;  be  not  dismayed,  for  I  am 
thy  God.  I  will  strengthen  thee ;  yea,  I  will  up- 
hold thee  with  the  right  hand  of  ray  righteousness.' 
The  power  of  God  came  with  his  word ;  so  that  none 
scoffed,  or  interrupted,  or  opened  his  mouth."  Thus 
faith,  grace  and  providence,  again  triumph. 

The  next  day,  however,  Tuesday,  the  fifth,  his  ene- 
mies are  permitted  to  go  a  little  further,  but  it  is  only 
that  their  disposition  and  folly  may  be  further  mani- 
fested. The  following  interesting  scene,  in  which  the 
noted  functionary.  Beau  Nash,  is  the  principal  actor, 
is  presented  in  all  its  vividness,  in  the  following  ex- 
tract, which  I  take  from  Mr.  Wesley's  Journal,  vol.  iii. 
p.  136.  "  There  was  great  expectation  at  Bath  of  what 
a  noted  man  was  to  do  there;  and  I  was  much  intreat- 
ed  not  to  preach,  because  no  one  knew  what  might 
happen.  By  this  report  I  also  gained  a  much  larger 
audience,  among  whom  were  many  of  the  rich  and 
great.  I  told  them  plainly,  the  Scripture  had  con- 
cluded them  all  under  sin, — high  and  low,  rich  and 
poor,  one  with  another.  Many  of  them  seemed  to  be  a 
little  surprised,  and  were  sinking  apace  into  serious- 
ness, when  their  champion  appeared,  and  coming  close 
to  me,  asked  by  what  authority  I  did  these  things.  I 
replied  '  By  the  authority  of  Jesus  Christ,  conveyed  to 
me  by  the  (now)  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  when  he 
laid  his  hands  upon  me,  and  said,  '  Take  thou  authori- 
ty to  preach  the  Gospel.'  He  said,  '  This  is  contrary 
to  act  of  Parliament:  this  is  a  conventicle.'  I  an- 
swered, '  Sir,  the  conventicles  mentioned  in  the  act  (as 
the  preamble  shows)  are  seditious  meetings ;  but  this 
is  not  such ;  here  is  no  shadow  of  sedition ;   therefore, 


94  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

it  is  not  contrary  to  that  act.'  He  replied,  '  I  say  it  is: 
and,  beside,  your  preaching  frightens  people  out  of 
their  wits.'  *  Sir,  did  you  ever  hear  me  preach  ?'  *No.' 
*  How,  then,  can  you  judge  of  what  you  never  heard  ?' 
*Sir,  by  common  report.'  *  Common  report  is  not 
enough.  Give  me  leave,  sir,  to  ask,  Is  not  your  name 
Nash?'  'My  name  is  Nash.'  'Sir,  I  dare  not  judge 
of  you  by  common  report :  I  think  it  not  enough  to 
judge  by.'  Here  he  paused  a  while,  and,  having  re- 
covered himself,  said,  '  I  desire  to  know  what  this  peo- 
ple comes  here  for:'  upon  which  one  replied,  'Sir,  leave 
him  to  me:  let  an  old  woman  answer  him.  You,  Mr. 
Nash,  take  care  of  your  body ;  we  take  care  of  our 
souls ;  and  for  the  food  of  our  souls  we  come  here.'  He 
replied  not  a  word,  but  went  away.  As  I  returned,  the 
street  was  full  of  people,  hurrying  to  and  fro,  and 
speaking  great  words.  But  when  any  of  them  asked, 
'  which  is  he  ?'  and  I  replied,  '  I  am  he,'  they  were  im- 
mediately silent.  Several  ladies  following  me  into  Mr. 
Merchant's  house ;  the  servant  told  me  there  were  some 
wanted  to  speak  to  me.  I  went  to  them,  and  said,  '  I 
believe,  ladies,  the  maid  mistook ;  you  only  wanted  to 
look  at  me.'  I  added,  *  I  do  not  expect  that  the  rich 
and  great  should  want  either  to  speak  with  me,  or  to 
hear  me ;  for  I  speak  the  plain  truth,  a  thing  you  hear 
little  of,  and  do  not  desire  to  hear.'  A  few  more  words 
passed  between  us,  and  I  retired." 

On  the  7th  of  June  we  find  him  preaching  on  Priest 
Down,  from  "  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?"  "  In  the 
midst  of  the  prayer  after  sermon,  two  men,"  he  says, 
"  began  singing  a  ballad.  After  a  few  mild  words,  (for 
I  saw  they  were  angry,)  used  without  effect,  we  all 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.         95 

began  singing  a  psalm,  which  put  them  utterly  to  si- 
lence. We  then  poured  out  our  souls  in  prayer  for 
them,  and  they  appeared  altogether  confounded." 
Neither  the  praying,  nor  the  "  mild  words,"  even  of  a 
Wesley,  could  silence  two  ballad  singers;  but  the  sing- 
ing of  fifty  or  a  hundred  young  converts,  could,  and 
did  silence  them  ;  and  this  being  done,  the  conquerors 
"  poured  our  their  souls  in  prayer"  for  the  conquered ; 
the  result  was,  they  were  "  altogether  confounded ;" 
and  well  they  might  be,  for  this  was  a  mode  of  warfare 
that  they  neither  understood  nor  expected !  They 
were  "  outflanked !" 

That  John  Wesley  and  his  noble  coadjutors,  now 
have  "  power  with  God  and  with  men,"  is  as  certain  as 
are  the  profoundly  interesting  facts  that  have  passed 
under  review ;  nor  is  it  less  evident,  that  he  was  desti- 
tute of  txiis  power  previous  to  the  period  which  we 
have  specified.  To  establish  these  two  grand  points,  it 
wdll  be  remembered,  is  the  end  for  which  we  have  ad- 
duced the  facts. 

On  the  11th,  he  says,  "I  received  a  pressing  letter 
from  London,  (as  I  had  several  others  before,)  to  come 
thither  as  soon  as  possible,  our  brethren  in  Fetter-lane 
being  in  perfect  confusion  for  want  of  ray  presence  and 
advice.  I  therefore  preached  in  the  afternoon,  on  these 
words:  'I  take  you  to  record  this  day,  that  I  am  pure 
from  the  blood  of  all  men  ;  for  I  have  not  shunned  to 
declare  unto  you  all  the  counsel  of  God.'  After  ser- 
mon I  commended  them  to  the  grace  of  God,  in  whom 
they  had  believed.  Surely  God  hath  yet  a  work  to  do 
in  this  place.  I  have  not  found  such  love,  no,  not  in 
England  ;  nor  so  childlike,  artless,  teachable  a  temper, 


96       POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

as  he  hath  given  to  this  people.  Yet,  during  this  whole 
time,  I  had  many  thoughts  concerning  the  unusual 
manner  of  my  ministering  among  them.  But  after  fre- 
quently laying  it  before  the  Lord,  and  calmly  weigh- 
ing whatever  objections  I  heard  against  it,  I  could  not 
but  adhere  to  what  I  had  written  to  a  friend,  who  had 
freely  spoken  his  sentiments  concerning  it.  An  extract 
of  that  letter  I  here  subjoin,  that  the  matter  may  be 
placed  in  a  clear  light."  And  for  the  same  reason,  viz: 
"  that  the  matter  may  be  placed  in  a  clear  light,"  we 
will  now  give  the  substance  of  this  remarkable  and 
very  important  letter : 

"  Dear  Sir, — The  best  return  I  can  make  for  the  kind 
freedom  you  use,  is  to  use  the  same  to  you.  O  may 
God  whom  we  serve  sanctify  it  to  us  both,  and  teach 
us  the  whole  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus! 

"  You  say  you  cannot  reconcile  some  parts  of  my  be- 
haviour with  the  character  I  have  long  sustained.  No, 
nor  ever  will.  Therefore  I  have  disclaimed  that  char- 
acter on  every  possible  occasion.  I  told  all  on  our  ship, 
all  at  Savannah,  all  at  Frederica,  and  that  over  and 
over,  in  express  terms,  '  I  am  not  a  Christian ;  I  only 
follow  after ;  if  happily  I  may  attain  it.'  When  they 
urged  my  works  and  self-denial,  I  answered  short, 
*  Though  I  give  all  my  goods  to  feed  the  poor,  and  my 
body  to  be  burned,  and  have  not  charity,  I  am  noth- 
ing.' If  they  added,  *  Nay,  but  you  could  not  preach 
as  you  do,  if  you  were  not  a  Christian ;'  I  again  con- 
fronted them  with  St.  Paul:  *  Though  I  speak  with  the 
tongues  of  men  and  of  angels  and  have  not  charity,  I 
am  nothing.'  *  *  *  *  jf  jq^  ^sk  on  what  principle, 
then,  I  acted?   it  was  this :   a  desire  to  be  a  Christian, 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.         97 

and  a  conviction  that  whatever  I  judge  conducive 
thereto,  that  I  am  bound  to  do."  To  the  advice  to 
"  settle  in  college,"  or  "  to  accept  of  a  cure  of  souls," 
he  gives  a  reply  as  clear  and  as  conclusive.  To  the  ob- 
jection that  he  entered  "  other  men's  parishes,  to  sing 
psalms  and  pray,  and  expound  the  Scriptures,  to  Chris- 
tians who  were  not  of  his  charge,"  he  replies  thus : 

"  Permit  me  to  speak  plainly.  If  by  Catholic  prin- 
ciples you  mean  any  other  than  Scriptural,  they  weigh 
nothing  with  me :  I  allow  no  other  rule,  whether  of 
faith  or  practice,  than  the  Holy  Scriptures  :  but  on 
Scriptural  principles,  I  do  not  think  it  hard  to  justify 
whatever  I  do.  God,  in  Scripture,  commands  me, 
according  to  my  power,  to  instruct  the  ignorant,  reform 
the  wicked,  confirm  the  virtuous.  Man  forbids  me  to 
do  this  in  another's  parish ;  that  is,  in  effect,  to  do  it 
at  all ;  seeing  I  have  now  no  parish  of  my  own,  nor 
probably  ever  shall.  Whom,  then,  shall  I  hear,  God, 
or  man  ?  '  If  it  be  just  to  obey  man  rather  than  God 
judge  you.  A  dispensation  of  the  Gospel  is  committed 
unto  me ;  and  woe  is  me,  if  I  preach  not  the  Gospel.' 
But  where  shall  I  preach  it  upon  the  principles  you 
mention  ?  Why,  not  in  Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  or 
America ;  not  in  any  of  the  Christian  parts,  at  least, 
of  the  inhabitable  earth.  For  all  these  are,  after  a 
sort,  divided  into  parishes.  If  it  be  said,  *  Go  back, 
then,  to  the  heathens  from  whence  you  came :'  nay, 
but  neither  could  I  now  (on  your  principles)  preach 
to  them ;  for  all  the  heathens  in  Georgia  belong  to  the 
parish  either  of  Savannah  or  Frederica."  "  On  Cath- 
olic principles  "  Mr.  Wesley's  friend  could  not  justify 
his  (Mr.  Wesley's)  conduct,  when  he  sung  psalms  and 
9 


98  POWER  WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

expounded  the  Scriptures  in  other  men^s  parishes  !  But 
in  his  laconic  and  forcible  manner  he  disposes  of 
"  Catholic  principles  "  by  simply  substituting  "  Scrip- 
tural principles  "  for  what  his  friend  called  "  Catholic 
principles."  In  this  way  Mr.  Wesley  did  not  think  it 
hard  to  justify  whatever  he  did.  And  as  to  the  parish 
question,  that  is  disposed  of  thus :  "  Suffer  me  now  to 
tell  you  my  principles  in  this  matter.  I  look  upon  all 
the  world  as  my  parish ;  thus  far  I  mean,  that,  in 
whatever  part  of  it  I  am,  I  judge  it  meet,  right,  and 
my  bounden  duty  to  declare,  unto  all  that  are 
willing  to  hear,  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation. 
This  is  the  work  which  I  know  God  has  called  me  to, 
and  sure  I  am  that  his  blessing  attends  it."  It  will 
be  seen  that  what  he  here  urges  in  his  own  defence 
contains  the  substance  of  what  he  ever  after  recognized 
as  "  marks  "  of  a  call  to  the  ministry,  and  they  are 
still  the  "  marks "  which  our  Church  requires  in  all 
whom  she  receives  into  that  holy  office — the  Divine 
call,  the  Christian  experience,  the  gifts,  and  the  fruits. 
(See  Discipline,  p.  60.)  Mr.  Wesley  now  returns  the 
kindness  of  his  friend  by  the  following  faithful  admo- 
nitions and  warning :  "  If  you  ask  how  can  this  be  ? 
*  How  can  one  do  good,  of  whom  men  say  all  mamier 
of  evil  f  I  will  put  you  in  mind,  (though  you  once 
knew  this,  yea,  and  much  established  me  in  that  great 
truth,)  the  more  evil  men  say  of  me  for  my  Lord's 
sake,  the  more  good  will  he  do  by  me.  That  it  is  for 
his  sake,  I  know%  and  He  knoweth,  and  the  event 
agreeth  thereto ;  for  He  mightily  confirms  the  words 
I  speak,  by  the  Holy  Ghost  given  unto  those  who  hear 
them.     O,  my  friend,  my  heart  is  moved  toward  you 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.         99 

I  fear  you  have  herein  'made  shipwreck  of  the  faith.' 
I  fear,  '  Satan  transformed  into  an  angel  of  light/  hath 
assaulted  you  and  prevailed  also.  I  fear,  that  offspring 
of  hell,  worldly  or  mystic  prudence,  has  drawn  you 
away  from  the  simplicity  of  the  gospel.  How  else 
could  you  ever  conceive  that  the  being  reviled  and 
'hated  of  all  men,' should  make  us  less  fit  for  our 
Master's  service  ?  How  else  could  you  ever  think  of 
saving  yourself  and  them  that  hear  you,  without 
being  *  the  filth  and  off-scouring  of  the  world  ?'  To 
this  hour  this  Scripture  is  true ;  and  I  therein  rejoice, 
yea,  and  will  rejoice.  Blessed  be  God,  I  enjoy  the  re- 
proach of  Christ." 

It  will  be  seen,  that  the  position  here  taken  by  Mr. 
Wesley,  especially  with  regard  to  the  parish  question, 
is  precisely  the  same  as  that  which  Rev.  Mr.  Tyng  and 
others,  after  so  long  a  time,  find  it  necessary  for  them 
to  take.  We  are  glad  that  they  at  length  recognize 
the  correctness  of  Mr.  Wesley's  position.  "  Better  late 
than  never." 

From  the  very  interesting  historic  facts  which  have 
passed  under  review,  we  learn  the  following  particu- 
lars, viz :  Bristol,  with  its  surrounding  towns  and 
country  for  about  five  miles,  formed  the  first  metho- 
dist  Circuit  in  the  world.  John  Wesley  w^as  the 
preacher  in  charge,  and  God  Almighty  made  the 
appointment.  The  Circuit  was  thoroughly  worked, 
and  the  Itinerant  plan  thoroughly  tested  by  this  first 
Itinerant  preacher.  He  preached  three  times  every 
week-day,  and  five  times  on  the  Sabbath,  at  least  this 
was  his  "  ordinary  work."  His  place  of  worship,  for 
the  most  part,  was  the  open  air,  on  the  hill-top,  on  the 


100  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

common,  in  the  meadow,  or  in  the  streets  and  lanes. 
The  meadow,  it  should  be  observed,  was  considered  too 
good  for  this  Itinerant  and  his  followers ;  hence  they 
were  indulged  with  that  delightful  place  only  a  few 
times,  and  then  excluded,  as  they  had  been  from  the 
churches.  In  addition  to  these  public  labors,  this 
preacher  had  to  meet  the  societies,  made  up  of  young 
converts  ;  this  he  did  usually  at  night,  it  not  being 
convenient  to  preach  in  the  open  air  during  the  night 
season.  In  this,  as  in  other  things,  he  observed  great 
economy.  He  also  went  from  house  to  house — and 
that  by  night  and  by  day — praying  with  penitents,  es- 
pecially with  those  who  were  "  grievously  vexed  with 
a  devil."  In  dealing  with  this  old  enemy,  however, 
he  had  a  short  and  easy  method  :  while  others  were 
blistering,  blooding,  &c.,  &c.,  he  simply  fell  upon  his 
knees  and  applied  to  the  Saviour  whom  he  preached, 
imploring  help  ;  nor  did  he  cry  in  vain,  for  the  salva- 
tion was  alike  instant  and  glorious.  In  addition  to  all 
this,  he  had  to  answer  questions  and  meet  objections 
which  came  thick  and  fast  from  near  and  from  far,  and 
which  furnished  a  large  amount  of  work  for  his  mind, 
his  tongue,  and  his  pen.  But  this,  also,  God  overruled 
for  good,  for  these  answers  form  a  most  interesting  part 
of  his  journal,  and  in  them  may  be  found  an  answer 
to  almost  every  question,  and  every  objection,  that  is 
started  at  the  present  day.  He  w^ho  had  his  first 
"parish"  in  Savannah,  now  claims  the  world  for  his 
"  parish,"  and  will  "  allow  no  other  rule,  whether  of 
faith  or  practice,  than  the  Holy  Scriptures."  Finding 
that  the  "  circuit  plan "  works  so  much  better  than 
did  the  old  parish  plan,  he  tells  his  friend  that  he  has 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY.      101 

"  now  no  parish,"  in  tliat  sense,  "  nor  probably  ever 
shall."  The  new  circuit  works  so  well  that  the  old 
parish  evidently  has  no  longer  any  attraction  for  him. 
And  we  may  safely  say  that  all  w^ho  have  AVesley's 
spit-it,  feel  as  he  did,  in  this  particular  also  !  Our 
observation  is,  that  none  go  back  to  the  old  parish  till 
they  loose  the  power  (if  ever  they  had  it)  that  drove 
Wesley  out  of  the  old  parish  and  placed  him  on  tJie  cir- 
cuit. Without  this  power  the  circuit  would  work  even 
worse  than  the  old  parish,  but  with  it  the  circuit  plan 
works  like  a  charm.  To  discover  this  power  was  the 
object  of  our  search ;  and  we  think  we  are  now  pre- 
pared to  point  it  out,  with  unmistakable  clearness,  and 
specify  thepartmdars  that  are  essential  to  its  development. 
In  the  history  which  has  passed  under  review,  we 
have  two  classes  of  facts.  The  first  class,  which  ex- 
tends to  May,  1738,  demonstrates  the  absence  of  this 
power.  The  second  class,  which  extends  from  that  pe- 
riod, as  clearly  demonstrates  the  presence  of  this  power. 
Up  to  the  period  specified,  these  men  had  not  the  pecu- 
liar power  of  which  we  speak ;  from  that  period  they 
had  it.  The  conclusion  in  each  case  is  as  certain  as  are 
the  facts  adduced  in  its  favor.  Now,  what  had  these 
men  at,  and  from  that  period,  which  they  had  not  be- 
fore ?  This  is  the  momentous  question.  For  it  is 
evident  that  the  principles  then  acquired  must  be  the 
elements  of  power,  or  the  medium  through  which  the  power 
operates.  In  other  words,  the  conditiong  of  power. 
This  will  become  evident  in  the  highest  degree,  if  we 
can  show,  as  we  believe  we  can,  that  this  power  is  al- 
ways found  where  these  elements  are,  and  never  where 
they  are  not.  What  then,  are  the  principles  which 
9* 


102     POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

these  reformers  acquired  at  the  period  referred  to,  and 
which  they  had  not  before  ? 

I  answer: — First — They  obtained  a  clear  knowledge 
of  the  two  essential  and  kindred  principles,  viz  :  justifica- 
tion by  faith  alone,  and  regeneration  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
Second — They  sought  and  obtained  these  two  great  bles- 
sings, with  the  direct  witness  of  the  Spirit.  Third — 
They  sought  and  obtained  that  peculiar  qualification 
for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  viz :  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Ghost ;  they  were  "  endued  with  power  from  on 
high."  Fourth — Being  assured  that  God  had  called 
them  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  they  unreservedly  offered 
themselves  to  him  for  this  very  purpose,  and  wholly  gave 
themselves  up  to  the  guidance  of  his  providence,  regard- 
less  of  all  consequences.  If  it  be  said,  that  they  had 
previously  done  what  is  specified  in  the  fourth  place,  I 
answer  this  was  not  possible  before  they  had  this  salva- 
tion, and  the  faith  which  is  the  condition  thereof;  nor 
could  they,  before  this,  have  that  love  which  is  essential 
to  every  offering,  and  to  every  work.  Fifth — -They  now 
went  forth  and  pre&ched  justification  by  faith  alone,  and 
regeneration  by  the  Spirit  alone.  Sixth — They  preached 
that  the  knowledge  of  justification  is  given  to  the  party  jus- 
tified by  the  direct  witness  of  the  Spirit.  Seventh — All 
this  they  corroborated  ly  their  own  experience — Their  un- 
mistakable consciousness.  Eighth — This  testimony  was 
corroborated  by  a  uniformly  good  judgment  and  holy  life. 
Ninth — This  salvation  they  offered  alike  to  all,  without 
any  distinction. 

Now,  I  aver  that  every  thing  comprehended  in  the 
above  nine  specifications  was  obtained  or  done  at  the 
period  marked  in  the  historic  record,  and  not  before. 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.      103 

If  it  be  said  that  they  preached  salvation  to  all  before 
this  period ;  I  am  so  far  from  admitting  this,  that  I  do 
not  believe  that,  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  word,  they 
preached  salvatioji  at  all !  How  could  they,  when  they 
were  ignorant  of  its  essential  elements,  as  well  as  of  the 
condition  upon  which  it  is  obtained  ?  Hence  it  is  that  I 
maker  this  knowledge  the  first  specification  in  the  list 
of  principles  obtained.     John  Wesley  first  obtained  this 
knowledge,  but  Charles,  for  a  time,  still  persisted  in 
pronouncing   the  whole   a   new  doctrine.     That  they 
should  be  thus  ignorant,  one  may  well  wonder,  and  they 
afterward  wondered  themselves.     Hence,  Charles  says, 
speaking  of  the  Church  generally,  "  I  marvel  that  we 
were  so  soon   removed  unto  another   Gospel.     Who 
would  believe  that  our  Church  had  been  founded  on 
this  important  article  of  justification  by  faith  alone.     I 
am  astonished  I  should  ever  think  this  a  new  doctrine, 
especially  while  our  articles  and  homilies  stand  unre- 
pealed, and  the  key  of  knowledge  is  yet  not  taken 
away."     But  while  people  wonder  at  the  ignorance  of 
John  and  Charles  Wesley,  I  beg  to  call  attention  to 
what  is  still  more  wonderful,  viz :  the  fact,  that  to  this 
day  there  are  thousands  in  the  pulpits  of  the  different 
churches,  who  are  no  farther  forward  now  than  the 
Wesleys  were  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1738,  and 
many  not  half  so  far !  True,  they  can  talk  about  cer- 
tain truths,  and  so  did  the  poor  creature  upon  which 
Balaam  rode,  and  probably  it  talked  better  than  some 
poor  creatures  talk  in  the  pulpit,  for  it  did  not  read  its 
talk  from  a  manuscript,  nor  did  it  say  anything  but 
what  was  true,  and  what  is  also  of  great  importance,  it 
talked  to  the  point,  kept  to  its  text,  and  gave  over  when 


104  .     POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

it  had  done !  But  that  creature,  like  many  creatures  in 
the  pulpit,  could  not  preach  experimental  religion  ; 
neither  could  John  and  Charles  Wesley  till  they  had  a 
Christian  experience,  nor  can  any  man !  And  they  are 
many,  alas!  very  many,  who  occupy  both  the  pulpits 
and  the  pews  of  our  churches,  who  have  not  a  Chris- 
tian experience :  and  these  too  will  talk  about  power 
as  they  do  about  other  things,  not  knowing  what  they 
talk  about. 

I  do  not  say  that  any  one  of  the  above  principles  is 
the  power  of  which  I  speak,  nor  do  I  believe  that  all  of 
them  put  together  are  that  power ;  but  I  claim  that  they 
are  essential  to  that  power.  For  where  these  principles 
are  not,  the  power  is  not,  and  it  is  always  present  where 
they  are.  These  principles  and  the  peculiar  power  go 
together,  and  are  inseparable.  I  do  not  say  that  the 
possession  of  these  elements  to  the  extent  that  the 
Wesleys  had  them,  is  essential  to  the  very  existence  of 
this  power.  But  I  do  say  that  a  deficiency  in  the  ele- 
ments will  result  in  a  deficiency  in  the  power.  For 
instance,  a  man  that  is  wholly  given  up  to  the  gui- 
dance of  divine  providence,  will  be  a  greater  power 
than  one  who  is  not.  Nor  do  I  say  that  there  is  no 
power  in  these  elements,  considered  in  themselves.  On 
the  contrary,  I  think  the  relation  of  a  clear  religious 
experience  is,  in  itself,  very  forcible,  and  so  is  the  clear 
announcement  of  Scripture  truth,  particularly  the  fun- 
damental doctrines  here  specified :  but  this  peculiar 
power  is  not  natural,  but  divine;  it  is  the  power  of  the 
Spirit,  and  it  is  exerted  through  the  agent  in  whom  the 
above  principles  meet;  and  according  to  the  degree  in 
which  they  meet  in  him.     Nor  will  anything  prevent  the 


REFORM ATION  OF  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY.   105 

successful  operations  of  such  power,  but  resistance  on 
the  part  of  those  for  whose  salvation  the  power  is  exerted. 
AVhere  the  word  of  God  is  preached  and  the  power  of 
the  Spirit  does  not  accompany  it,  or  accompanying  it, 
fails  to  produce  the  desired  result,  the  cause  is  to  be 
found  in  the  preacher,  or  in  the  hearers,  or  in  both  ;  for 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  always  infinitely  disposed  to  exert  his 
power  for  the  salvation  of  souls.  The  absence  and  va- 
riations of  the  Spirit's  power  are  not  caused  by  changes 
in  the  Divine  mind,  but  by  the  moral  ohstructions  which 
are  presented  either  by  those  through  whom  he  would 
exert  his  power,  or  by  those  upon  whom  he  would  ex- 
ert his  power.  The  power  and  goodness  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  were  the  same  before  the  conversion  of  White- 
field  and  the  Wesleys,  that  they  were  afterward — the 
very  same,  but  those  men  were  not  the  same  before  and 
after  their  conversion.  No,  after  they  were  converted 
and  qualified  for  the  ministry,  as  stated  above,  they 
were  "  vessels  unto  honor,  sanctified  and  meet  for  the 
Master's  use,  and  prepared  unto  avery  good  work.'* 
Before  this  time  they  were  not.  Hence  God  could,  and 
did,  use  them  now  as  he  did  not,  and  could  not  before. 
If  any  are  startled  by  this  statement,  I  will  ask  such 
this  question :  Do  you  believe  that  God  could  use  an 
ignorant  sinner  in  the  work  of  the  ministry  just  as  well 
as  he  could  Whitefield  and  the  Wesleys,  when  they  had 
all  the  qualifications  specified  above  ?  If  you  say  no,  you 
grant  all  I  claim.  And  if  you  say  yes,  I  join  issue  with 
you  and  do  not  hesitate  to  say  no.  In  my  judgment  you 
might  just  as  well  say  that  God  could  convert  all  men 
at  any  time,  if  he  were  so  disposed,  whether  they  would 
or  not,  as  say  that  he  can  make  the  same  use  of  a  sin- 


106  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

ner  that  he  can  of  a  saint ;  for  if  there  is  no  moral 
obstruction  in  the  one  case,  neither  is  there  in  the  other. 
Moreover,  such  a  conclusion  would  attach  all  blame  to 
the  Almighty,  and  none  to  sinners,  whether  in  the  pul- 
pit, the  pew,  or  the  world !  I  wish,  to  the  very  utmost 
of  my  power,  to  expose  and  condemn  this  most  perni- 
cious and  wicked  practice,  and  brand  it,  if  possible, 
with  the  ever-during  infamy  which  it  so  justly  deserves. 
Idle  and  useless  professors,  like  other  sinners,  would 
have  us  believe  that  they  are  useless  simply  because 
God  does  not  see  fit  to  give  them  the  power.  And  they 
would  have  us  believe  that  they  are  very  pious  in  all 
this  ;  they  are  "  waiting  God's  time ;"  they  are  simply 
"submitting  to  his  sovereign  will."  No,  my  friend,  noth- 
ing of  the  sort ;  you  are  simply  resisting  his  sovereign 
will,  and  this  is  the  sole  reason  why  he  does  not,  and 
can  not,  either  use  you,  or  save  you.  He  tells  you  most 
distinctly,  "I  would,  and  ye  would  not."  "Ye  will 
not  come  to  me  that  ye  might  have  life."  "  Ye  stiff- 
necked,  and  uncir^umcised  in  heart  and  ears,  ye  do  al- 
ways resist  the  Holy  Ghost."  These  are  the  reasons 
why  you  have  neither  life  nor  power.  Onl}'-  come  to 
God  as  Whitefield  and  the  Wesleys  did,  and  he  will 
put  you  upon  the  wheel,  as  he  did  them,  and  make  you 
"vessels  unto  honor,  sanctified  and  meet  for  the  mas- 
ter's use,  and  prepared  unto  every  good  work."  As  to 
the  sphere  in  which  it  may  please  God  to  use  you,  we 
have  nothing  to  say  ;  God  will  mark  that  out  for  you 
as  seemeth  him  good,  and  lead  and  defend  you  in  it,  if 
you  will  give  yourself  up  to  the  guidance  of  his  provi- 
dence. All  we  claim  is,  that  you  will  be  a  power,  what- 
ever be  your  sphere.   No  man  can  unite  in  himself  the 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.      107 

nine  elements  specified  above,  and  not  be  a  power. 
The  Master  will  always  use  the  vessel  that  is  sanctified 
and  meet  for  his  use.  And,  observe,  every  element  here 
specified,  should  enter  into  the  character  and  life  of  every 
Christian,  however  humble  his  sphere  of  action.  Tlie 
only  seeming  exception  to  this  statement  is  the  call  to 
the  regular  work  of  the  ministry.  But  this  is  really  no 
exception,  inasmuch  as  it  merely  regards  the  sphere  in 
which  the  elements  of  power  are  to  be  exercised.  For 
instance,  Carvosso,  the  Cornish  class-leader,  was  called 
to  a  given  sphere,  and  obeyed  the  call ;  and  in  that 
sphere  he  was  a  man  of  power,  and  developed  all  the 
above  elements  of  power  as  really  as  did  John  Wesley 
in  his  sphere  of  action.  He  preached  the  doctrine  of 
justification  by  faith,  corroborating  it  by  his  own  hap- 
py experience,  just  as  did  Whitefield  and  the  Wesleys, 
and  that  with  similar  success,  though  moving  in  a  very 
humble  sphere  ;  so  humble,  that  he,  like  many  in  simi- 
lar circumstances,  would  have  lived  and  died  in  ob- 
scurity, had  it  not  been  that  he  became  conspicuous  by 
the  refulgent  light  that  he  shed  upon  his  benighted 
neighbors,  by  his  holy  and  useful  life.  Yes,  all  these 
elements  of  power  met  in  Carvosso,  as  really  as  in  John 
Wesley.  The  machinery  and  location  were  different, 
but  the  power  was  the  same.  The  power  that  works  a 
grist-mill,  and  that  which  drives  the  huge  steamboat 
across  the  vast  Atlantic,  are  essentially  one.  The  ma- 
chinery is  a  little  varied  to  adapt  the  power  to  the  dif- 
ferent circumstances,  that  is  all.  And  the  difference 
between  Carvosso  and  Wesley  was  similar.  The  en- 
gine in  the  country  grist-mill  would  not  supply  the 
place  of  that  in  the  Atlantic  steamer,  neither  would 


108  POWER    WITH    GOD    AND    WITH    MEN. 

Carvosso  supply  the  place  of  John  Wesley,  or  George 
Whitefield,  but  the  machinery  and  the  power  in  the 
two  former  cases,  and  the  elements  and  the  power  in 
the  two  latter,  are  essentially  the  same ;  nor  can  you 

HAVE  THE  POWER  WITHOUT  THE  ELEMENTS,  NOR  THE 
ELEMENTS    WITHOUT    THE    POWER.       I    haVC    USCd    the 

word  elementSj  because  I  could  not  think  of  another 
word  that  would  comprehend  and  express,  with  less 
ambiguity,  all  the  nine  particulars  specified.  Any 
other  word  that  is  supposed  to  be  more  suitable,  may 
be  used,  provided  no  one  of  the  nine  specifications  is 
either  excluded  or  altered. 

The  nine  specifications,  however,  may  be  compre- 
hended in  three  terms,  viz  :  these.  Doctrine,  Experience, 
and  Practice,  the  two  latter  flowing  from  the  former, 
invariably  so,  as  the  word  of  God  and  Christian  con- 
sciousness do  most  clearly  testify :  "  Believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  and  thou  shalt  be  saved."  "  He  that  be- 
lieveth  hath  the  witness  in  himself."  "  Being  justified 
by  faith,  we  have  peace  with  God  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  also  we  have  access  by  faith 
into  this  grace  wherein  we  stand,  and  rejoice  in  hope 
of  the  glory  of  God."  The  same  truth  is  thus  expressed 
in  the  Assembly's  Catechism  : — "  The  blessings  which 
do  in  this  life  accompany  or  flow  from  justification, 
adoption,  and  sanctification,  are  assurance  of  God's 
love,  peace  of  conscience,  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost." 
"We  are  his  workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus 
unto  good  works,  which  God  hath  before  ordained  that 
we  should  walk  in  them."  "  He  that  abideth  in  me, 
and  I  in  him,  the  same  bringeth  forth  much  fruit,  for 
separate  from  me  ye  can  do  nothing."     "  But  ye  shall 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.     109 

receive  power  after  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon 
you."  "  I  caa  do  all  things  through  Christ  that 
strengtheneth  me."  Such  is  the  connection,  smd  order  of 
the  doctrines,  the  experience,  the  practice,  and  the  power. 
Not  only  are  the  principles  here  specified  essentially 
connected,  but  they  are  connected  in  this  order.  The  ex- 
perience, t\\Q  practice,  2inA.  t\\Q  power,  follow  faith,  never 
go  before,  for  ^'he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned." 

I  have  not  specified  as  necessary  to  this  peculiar 
power  the  doctrine  of  entire  satisfaction.  First, 
because  I  do  not  find  it  in  the  facts  of  history  which 
have  passed  under  review,  though  I  do  find  the  power. 
Second,  because  I  believe  this  power  is  both  retained 
and  increased  by  going  on  to  this  state  of  perfection ; 
and,  observe,  here  too  we  find  the  very  same  connection 
and  order  of  doctrine,  experience,  practice,  and  power. 
"  For  whosoever  hath,  to  him  shall  be  given,  and  he 
shall  have  more  abundance;  but  whosoever  hath  not, 
from  him  shall  be  taken  away  even  that  which  he  hath." 
It  will  be  seen  that  these  principles  being  connected  in 
this  order,  exclude  alike,  pharisaism,  antinomiani^n, 
and  latitudinarianism,  and  as  sure  as  this  connection 
and  order  are  not  adhered  to,  one  or  other  of  these 
errors  will  creep  in.  As  to  the  limited  sanctification, 
I  have  not  made  that  one  of  the  specifications,  because 
all  who  are  justified  are  thus  sanctified,  and  because 
it  is  necessarily  included  and  implied  in  the  specifica- 
tions given. 

Being   convinced  that  the  peculiar  power  and  the 

principles  above  specified  are  inseparable,  so  much  so, 

that  no  man  or  Church  can  have  the  principles  without 

the  power,  or  the  power  without  the  principles,  we  may 

10 


110     POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

well  be  permitted  to  dwell  upon  the  subject  a  little 
longer,  and  bring  forward  two  or  three  additional 
witnesses  in  support  of  our  position. 

Our  next  witness  is  John  Nelson.  We  bring  him 
forward,  not  only  for  the  purpose  above  specified,  but 
also,  to  show  that  every  man,  whether  learned  or 
unlearned,  may,  and  should  have  the  principles  and, 
consequently,  the  power,  for  the  principles  may  be 
viewed  as  the  conditions  of  the  power. 

John  Nelson  was,  I  think,  the  first  lay  preacher 
raised  up  to  bear  witness  to  this  power,  in  connection 
with  Mr.  Wesley.  He  heard  Mr.  Wesley  preach  his 
first  sermon  in  Upper  Moorfields  on  Sunday  the  17th 
of  June,  1739,  from  "Ho,  every  man  that  thristeth 
come  ye  to  the  waters,"  &c.  His  simple,  unaffected 
account  of  himself,  is  alike  touching  and  instructive. 
In  his  journal,  p.  12,  he  says,  "  I  went  from  church 
to  church,  but  found  no  ease:  one  minister  at  St. 
Paul's  preached  about  man  doing  his  duty  to  God  and 
his  neighbor ;  and  when  such  came  to  lie  upon  a  death- 
bed, what  joy  they  would  have  in  their  own  breast 
by  looking  back  on  their  well-spent  life.  But  that 
sermon  had  like  to  have  destroyed  my  soul,  for  I 
looked  back,  and  could  not  see  one  day  in  all  my  life 
wherein  I  had  not  left  undone  something  which  I 
ought  to  have  done,  and  wherein  I  had  not  done  many 
things  wrong ;  that  I  was  so  far  from  having  a  well- 
spent  life  to  reflect  upon,  that  I  saw,  if  one  day  well- 
spent  would  save  my  soul,  I  must  be  damned  for  ever. 
After  that  I  heard  another  sermon,  wherein  the 
preacher  summed  up  all  the  Christian  duties,  but  he 
said,  man,  since  the  fall,  could  not  perfectly  fulfil  the 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.      Ill 

will  of  his  Maker ;  but  God  required  him  to  do  all  he 
could  and  Christ  would  make  out  the  rest,  but  if  man 
did  not  do  all  he  could,  he  must  unavoidably  perish. 
Then  I  thought,  not  only  I,  but  every  soul  must  be 
damned.  Therefore  I  concluded  that  none  could  be 
saved  but  little  children.  I  thought  I  would  try  others, 
and  went  to  hear  Dissenters  of  divers  denominations, 
but  to  no  purpose.  Then  I  went  to  the  Romans,  but 
was  soon  surfeited  with  their  ways  of  worship.  Then 
I  went  to  the  Quakers,  and  prayed  that  God  would 
not  suffer  the  blind  to  go  out  of  the  way,  but  join  me 
to  the  people  that  worshipped  him  in  spirit  and  in 
truth  ;  I  cared  not  what  they  were  called,  nor  what  I 
suffered  upon  earth,  so  that  my.  soul  might  be  saved  at 
last.  I  believe  I  heard  them  every  Sunday  for  three 
months.  What  made  me  continue  so  long  was,  almost 
at  my  first  going,  one  spoke  something  that  nearly 
suited  the  state  of  my  soul,  but  showed  no  remedy.  I 
had  now  tried  all  but  the  Jews,  and  I  thought  it  was 
to  no  purpose  to  go  to  them,  so  I  thought  I  would  go 
to  church,  and  read  and  pray,  whether  I  perished  or 
not.  But  I  was  amazed  when  I  came  to  join  in  the 
morning  prayers,  to  see  that  I  had  mocked  my  Maker 
all  my  days  by  praying  for  things  I  did  not  expect,  or 
desire.  In  the  Spring  [1739]  Mr.  Whitefield  came 
into  Moorfields,  and  I  went  to  hear  him ;  he  was  to 
me  like  a  man  that  could  play  well  upon  an  instru- 
ment, for  his  preaching  was  pleasant  to  me  and  I 
loved  the  man  ;  so  that  if  any  one  offered  to  disturb 
him,  I  was  ready  to  fight  for  him."  *  *  *  «<  ;gy^ 
sometimes  as  I  was  reading,  I  thought,  if  none  are 
Christians  but  such  as  St.  John  and  St.  Paul  describe, 


112     POWER  WITH  GOD  A.ND  WITH  MEN. 

I  do  not  know  one  person  that  is  a  Christian,  either  in 
town  or  country.  As  for  me,  I  am  no  more  a  Christian 
than  is  a  devil,  and  my  hope  of  ever  being  one  is  very 
small." 

•  Thus  he  continued  to  wander  about,  still  becoming 
more  and  more  miserable.  Nor  did  sleep  afford  him 
much  relief,  for  he  says,  "  In  this  struggle  I  had  but 
little  sleep;  if  I  slept  four  hours  out  of  twenty-four,  I 
thought  it  was  a  great  deal ;  sometimes  I  started  as  if 
I.  was  falling  into  some  horrible  place,  at  other  times 
I  dreamed  that  I  was  fighting  with  Satan,  and  when  I 
awoke  I  was  sweating,  and  as  fatigued  as  if  I  had 
really  been  fighting.  In  all  this  time  I  did  not  open 
my  mind  to  any  person,  either  by  word  or  by  letter, 
but  I  was  like  a  wandering  bird  cast  out  of  the  nesl 
till  Mr.  John  Wesley  came  to  preach  his  first  sermon 
in  Moorfields.  O,  that  was  a  blessed  morning  to  my 
soul !  As  soon  as  he  got  upon  the  stand  he  stroked 
back  his  hair  and  turned  his  face  to  where  I  stood, 
and,  I  thought,  fixed  his  eyes  on  me ;  his  countenance 
struck  me  with  such  an  awful  dread,  before  I  heard 
him  speak,  that  it  made  my  heart  beat  like  the  pendu- 
lum of  a  clock,  and  when  he  did  speak  I  thought  his 
whole  discourse  was  aimed  at  me.  When  he  had  done, 
I  said,  This  man  can  tell  the  secrets  of  my  heart ;  but 
he  hath  not  left  me  there,  for  he  hath  showed  me  the 
remedy,  even  the  blood  of  Jesus.  Then  was  my  soul 
filled  with  consolation  through  hope,  that  God  for 
Christ's  sake  would  save  me  ;  neither  did  I  doubt  in 
such  a  manner  any  more,  till  within  twenty-four  hours 
of  the  time  when  the  Lord  wrote  pardon  on  my  heart, 
though  it  was  a  little  after  midsummer  that  I  heard 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.      113 

him,  and  it  was  three  weeks  after  Michaelmas  before 
I  found  the  true  peace  of  God."  This  painful  struggle 
continued  till  about  the  middle  of  October.  Mean- 
time, he  says,  "  All  my  acquaintances  set  upon  me  to 
persuade  me  not  to  go  too  far  in  religion  lest  it  should 
unfit  me  for  my  business,  and  so  bring  poverty  and 
distress  upon  my  family  ;  and  they  said  they  wished  I 
had  never  heard  Mr.  AVesley,  for  they  were  afraid  it 
would  be  the  ruin  of  me.  I  told  them  I  had  reason 
to  bless  God  that  ever  he  was  born,  for  by  hearing  him 
I  was  sensible  that  my  business  in  this  world  was  to 
get  well  out  of  it ;  and  as  for  my  trade,  health,  wisdom, 
and  all  things  in  the  world,  they  were  no  blessing  to 
me  any  farther  than  as  so  many  instruments  to  help 
me  by  the  grace  of  God  to  work  out  my  salvation. 
Then  they  said  they  were  sorry  for  me,  and  should  be 
glad  to  knock  Mr.  Wesley's  brains  out,  for  he  would 
be  the  ruin  of  many  families  if  he  was  allowed  to  live 
and  go  on  as  he  did.  Some  of  them  said  they  would 
not  hear  him  preach  for  fifty  pounds."  Shortly  before 
he  found  salvation  his  distresses  was  great,  so  that  he 
could  neither  rest,  eat,  nor  sleep.  But  hear  him : 
"When  I  went  back  to  my  lodging  at  noon,  dinner 
was  ready,  and  the  gentlewoman  said,  *  Come,  sit  down, 
you  have  need  of  your  dinner,  for  you  have  eaten 
nothing  to-day ;'  but  when  I  looked  on  the  meat  I 
said,  *  Shall  such  a  wretch  as  I  devour  the  good 
creatures  of  God  in  the  state  I  am  now  in  ?  No,  I 
deserve  to  be  thrust  into  hell.'  I  then  went  into  my 
chamber,  shut  the  door,  and  fell  down  on  my  knees, 
cryiug,  '  Lord  save  or  I  perish.'  When  I  had  prayed 
till  I  could  pray  no  more,  I  got  up  and  walked  to  and 
10* 


114     POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN 

fro,  being  resolved  I  would  neither  eat  nor  drink  till  I 
had  found  the  kingdom  of  God.  I  fell  down  to  prayer 
again,  but  found  no  relief;  got  up  and  walked  again  ; 
then  tears  began  to  flow  from  my  eyes  like  great  drops 
of  rain,  and  I  fell  on  my  knees  a  third  time ;  but  now 
I  was  as  dumb  as  a  beast,  and  could  not  put  up  one 
petition  if  it  would  have  saved  my  soul.  I  kneeled 
before  the  Lord  sometime,  and  saw  myself  a  criminal 
before  the  judge  ;  then  I  said,  *  Lord,  thy  will  be  done, 
damn  or  save.'  That  moment  Jesus  Christ  was  as 
evidently  set  before  the  eye  of  my  mind,  as  crucified 
for  my  sins,  as  if  I  had  seen  him  with  my  bodily  eyes  ; 
and  in  that  instant  my  heart  was  set  at  liberty  from 
guilt  and  tormenting  fear,  and  filled  with  a  calm  and 
serene  peace.  I  could  then  say,  without  any  dread  or 
fear,  '  Thou  art  my  Lord  and  my  God.'  Now  did  I 
begin  to  sing  that  part  of  the  twelfth  chapter  of 
Isaiah,  *0  Lord,  I  will  praise  thee;  though  thou  wa^t 
angry  with  me,  thine  anger  is  turned  away  from  me, 
and  thou  comfortest  me  ;  behold,  God  is  my  salvation, 
I  will  trust  and  not  be  afraid,  for  the  Lord  JEHO- 
VAH is  my  strength  and  my  song,  he  also  is  become 
my  salvation.'  My  heart  was  filled  with  love  to  God 
and  every  soul  of  man,  and  next  to  my  wife  and 
children,  my  mother,  brethren  and  sisters,  my  greatest 
enemies  had  an  interest  in  my  prayers,  and  I  cried, 
'  O  Lord,  give  me  to  see  my  desire  on  them  ;  let  them 
experience  thy  redeeming  love.'  That  evening,  under 
Mr.  Wesley's  sermon,  I  could  do  nothing  but  weep, 
and  love,  and  praise  God  for  sending  his  servant  into 
fields  to  show  me  the  way  of  salvation.  All  the  day 
I  neither  ate  nor  drank  anything,  for  before  I  found 


REFORMATION    OF    EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.      115 

peace  to  my  soul  the  hand  of  God  was  so  heavy  upon 
me,  that  I  refused  to  eat ;  and  after  I  had  found  peace 
I  was  so  filled  with  the  manna  of  redeeming  love  that  I 
had  no  need  of  the  bread  that  perisheth  for  that 
season." 

His  host  and  hostess,  with  whom  he  had  long  been  a 
lodger,  now  became  alarmed,  and  told  him  he  must 
seek  for  lodging  elsewhere,  for  he  made  so  much  fuss 
about  religion,  and  prayed  so  much,  they  feared  some 
mischief  would  happen  !  Accordingly,  on  Wednesday 
night  he  came  to  take  away  his  few  articles  of  clothing. 
While  he  was  fixing  up  his  little  bundle,  the  good  old 
man  said  to  his  wife,  "  Suppose  John  should  be  right, 
and  we  wrong,  it  would  be  a  sad  thing  to  turn  him  out 
of  doors."  This  thought  wrought  a  marvellous  change 
in  the  mind  of  the  woman,  as  well  as  in  that  of  the 
man ;  hence,  when  John  had  pronounced  his  blessings 
upon  them,  and  was  about  to  start,  the  woman  went 
between  him  and  the  door,  and  said,  "  You  shall  not 
go  out  of  this  house  to  night."  To  this  unexpected 
opposition,  John  replied,  "  What,  will  you  neither  let 
me  go  nor  stay?"  She  replied,  "  My  husband  is  not 
willing  you  should  go ;  for  he  saith,  if  God  hath  done 
anything  more  for  you  than  for  us,  he  would  have  you 
show  us  how  we  may  find  the  same  mercy."  "  So  I 
sat  down  with  them,"  says  John,  "  and  told  them  of 
God's  dealing  with  my  soul,  and  prayed  with  them ; 
soon  after  which  they  both  went  to  hear  Mr.  Wesley 
preach,  when  the  woman  was  made  partaker  of  the 
same  grace ;  and  I  hope  to  meet  them  both  in  heaven." 
On  the  following  Saturday,  John  had  another  trial ; 
the  "  chief  foreman  "  said  to  him.     "  John  Nelson,  you 


116  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

raust  look  after  such  and  such  men  to-morrow ;  there 
is  a  piece  of  work  to  be  done  with  all  speed,  for  the 
lord  of  the  exchequer  will  be  here  on  a  particular  day, 
by  which  time  it  must  be  completed."  "  Sir,"  replied 
John,  "you  have  forgotten  yourself;  to-morrow  is  the 
Sabbath."  "  He  said  he  knew  that  as  well  as  me,  but 
the  King's  business  required  haste,  and  it  was  common 
to  work  on  Sunday  for  his  majesty.  I  told  him  I 
would  not  work  upon  the  Sabbath  for  any  man  in  Eng- 
land, except  it  was  to  quench  fire,  or  something  that 
required  the  same  immediate  help."  After  reasoning 
with  John  to  no  purpose,  the  foreman  told  him  he 
should  lose  his  business.  To  this  the  young  convert  re- 
plied, "  I  cannot  help  it,  though  it  may  be  ten  pounds 
out  of  my  way  to  be  turned  out  of  my  work  at  this  time 
of  the  year,  I  will  not  wilfully  offend  God  ;  for  I  would 
much  rather  want  bread,  nay,  I  would  much  rather  see 
my  wife  and  children  beg  their  bread  barefooted  to 
heaven,  than  ride  in  a  coach  to  hell."  The  foreman 
now  told  Mr,  Nelson  that  he  would  soon  be  *'  as  mad  as 
Whitefield,"  and  added,  "  What  hast  thou  done,  that 
thou  needest  make  so  much  ado  about  salvation  !  I  al- 
ways took  thee  to  be  as  honest  a  man  as  any  I  have  in 
the  work,  and  could  have  trusted  thee  with  five  hun- 
dred pounds."  "  So  you  might,"  replied  Mr.  Nelson, 
"and  not  have  lost  one  penny  by  me."  But  when 
Nelson  undertook  to  show  him  that  he  deserved  hell 
notwithstanding,  he  replied,  "  I  have  a  worse  opinion  of 
thee  now  than  ever."  To  this  Mr.  N.  promptly  replied, 
"  Master,  I  have  the  odds  of  you,  for  I  have  a  much 
worse  opinion  of  myself  than  you  can  have."  In  the 
evening,  the  foreman  asked  Nelson  if  he  were  still  ob- 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.      117 

stinate,  to  which  the  latter  replied,  "  I  am  determined 
not  to  break  the  Sabbath,  for  I  will  run  the  hazard  of 
wanting  bread  here,  rather  than  run  the  hazard  of  want- 
ing water  hereafter."  In  this  interesting  dialogue,  the 
foreman  gave  his  last  reply  in  these  words,  "  Wesley  has 
made  a  fool  of  thee,  and  thou  wilt  beggar  thy  family." 
The  next  day  the  young  convert  had  a  glorious  Sab- 
bath, as  might  be  expected.  He  says,  "  God  blessed 
my  soul  wonderfully,  both  under  the  word  and  at  the 
sacrament."  On  Monday  morning  Mr.  Nelson  went  to 
the  exchequer  to  take  away  his  tools,  but  God  had 
given  the  foreman  another  mind,  so  that  he  would  not 
allow  Mr.  Nelson  to  leave,  but  gave  him  the  superin- 
tendence of  a  part  of  the  work,  "  neither  had  he  set  any 
man  to  work  on  the  Sabbath,  as  he  had  said  he  would." 
If  this  good  man  had  defiled  his  conscience  by  yielding 
to  these  temptations,  he  would  have  been  as  powerless 
as  other  men.  But  he  did  not,  hence  he  not  only  re- 
tained the  power  he  had,  but  had  it  greatly  increased  ; 
and  God  made  his  power  felt,  so  that  the  foreman 
respected  the  law  of  the  Sabbath,  and  all  the  men  were 
permitted  to  rest  on  the  Lord's  day. 

With  remarkable  zeal  and  self-denial  this  young  con- 
vert continued  to  labor  for  both  worlds,  though  he  says, 
"  I  had  never  spoken  wdth  Mr.  Wesley  in  my  life,  nor 
conversed  with  any  experienced  man  about  religion. 
I  longed  to  find  one  to  talk  with,  but  I  sought  in  vain, 
for  I  could  find  none."  Again,  speaking  of  the  first  win- 
ter after  his  conversion,  he  says,  "All  that  hard  winter 
I  still  fasted  from  Thursday  night  till  Saturday  morn- 
ing, and  gave  to  the  poor  the  meat  that  I  saved  by 
foting,  spending  my  time  in  praying  and  reading  the 


118  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

Scriptures."  A  little  more  than  a  year  after  his  con- 
version, he  had  an  interview  with  Mr.  Wesley.  The 
following  is  the  record  which  he  makes  of  this  inter- 
esting event : — "  I  was  at  St  Paul's,  where  Mr.  John 
Wesley  also  was,  and  I  contrived  to  walk  with  him 
after  sacrament,  for  I  had  often  wished  I  could  speak 
with  him ;  therefore  I  seized  this  opportunity ;  so  we 
continued  in  discourse  all  the  way  from  St.  Paul's,  to 
the  farther  end  of  Upper  Moorfields,  and  it  was  a 
blessed  conference  to  me.  When  parting,  he  took  hold 
of  my  hand,  and  looking  me  full  in  the  face,  bid  me 
take  care  I  did  not  quench  the  spirit." 

In  December,  1740,  he  had  a  remarkable  conviction 
that  he  must  return  to  his  home,  in  Birstal,  Yorkshire. 
He  did  so,  and  soon  told  his  experience  to  his  friends. 
"But,"  he  says,  "they  begged  I  would  not  tell  any 
that  my  sins  w^ere  forgiven,  for  no  one  would  believe 
me,  and  they  should  be  ashamed  to  show  their  face  in 
the  street.  I  should  not  be  ashamed,"  he  replied,  "  to 
tell  what  God  had  done  for  my  soul,  if  I  could  speak 
loud  enough  for  all  the  world  to  hear  me  at  once." 
His  mother  told  him  his  "  head  was  turned,"  to  which 
he  replied,  "  Yes,  and  my  heart  too,  I  thank  the  Lord!" 
As  he  continued  to  reprove,  rebuke,  and  exhort,  his 
wife  "  desired  that  he  would  leave  off  abusing  his 
neighbors,  or  go  back  to  London."  But  he  did  neither, 
for  he  continued  to  "  abuse  his  neighbors"  by  reproving 
them  and  telling  them  his  experience.  He  now  went 
to  a  meeting  where  he  says,  "  One  read  in  an  old  book 
for  nearly  an  hour,  then  sang  a  hymn,  and  read  a  form 
of  prayer.  I  told  them  that  way  would  never  convert  sin- 
ners, and  began  to  relate  some  of  my  experience  ;  seve- 


REFORMATION   OF   EIGHTEENTH   CENTURY.      119 

ral  were  struck  with  convictions  while  I  was  speaking, 
and  some  soon  bore  witness  to  the  same  grace  that  God 
showed  me.  In  a  little  time  all  I  said  was  noised 
abroad,  and  people  of  all  denominations  came  to  dis- 
pute Avith  me.  As  soon  as  I  came  home  from  work, 
my  house  was  filled  with  people,  which  made  my  wife 
uneasy,  for  she  could  do  no  work,  and  did  not  yet  be- 
lieve that  what  I  said  was  true. 

"  Generally,  when  I  came  in  and  sat  down,  some  one 
would  ask  me  a  question,  and  others  would  begin  to 
dispute  with  me,  while  others  stood  to  hear.  When  any 
one  began  to  cavil,  I  commonly  asked  what  Church 
they  belonged  to,  and  if  they  said  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, then  I  replied,  Do  you  know  your  sins  forgiven  ? 
Several  said,  *  No,  nor  never  expect  to  know  that  in 
this  world.'  Then  I  said.  You  are  no  member  of  the 
Church  of  England,  if  you  have  not  a  full  trust  and 
confidence  that  God,  for  Christ's  sake,  hath  forgiven 
you.  Read  the  homilies  of  the  Church,  and  you  will 
see  what  I  say  is  true.  I  used  to  have  the  Bible  and 
Common  Prayer  Book  by  me,  and  I  showed  them  the 
articles  of  the  Church,  saying.  You  deny  inspiration, 
and  the  Church  you  profess  to  belong  to  says,  ^Before 
the  grace  of  Christ,  and  the  hupiration  of  his  Spirit,  no 
good  works  can  be  done.'  When  any  said  they  were  of 
the  Church  of  Scotland,  I  asked  them  if  they  did  not 
know  their  sins  forgiven.  They  told  me  they  did  not ; 
nay,  further,  they  thought  it  presumption  for  any  one 
to  pretend  to  know  it,  or  to  expect  such  high  attain- 
ments as  I  spoke  of;  and  they  told  me  I  was  a  Papist, 
or  I  would  not  talk  as  I  did."  To  this  he  replied,  "  I 
think  you  neither  know  what  a  Papist  or  a  Presbyte- 


120      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

rian  is,  for  your  own  lips  declare  that  you  are  no  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  of  Scotland ;  that  Church  disowns 
you,  for  none  are  allowed  members  thereof  but  those 
who  are  effectually  called ;  and  they  that  are  effectual- 
ly called,  do  in  this  life  partake  of  justification,  adop- 
tion and  sandificaiion.  And  the  same  Church  saith, 
that  justification  is  an  act  of  God's  free  grace,  wherein 
he  pardoneth  all  our  sins ;  adoption  is  an  act  of  God's 
free  grace,  by  which  we  are  received  into  the  number, 
and  have  a  right  to  all  the  privileges  of  God's  sons ; 
and  that  sanctification  is  a  work  of  God's  free  grace, 
whereby  we  are  renewed  in  the  whole  man,  after  the 
image  of  God,  and  all  that  are  so  effectually  called,  do 
enjoy  an  assurance  of  God's  love,  peace  of  conscience, 
and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  I  pray  you  what 
have  I  said  more  ?  By  your  talking,  you  are  the  sons 
of  Rome,  and  enemies  to  the  true  Protestant  religion. 
Let  me  beg  you  to  go  home,  and  read  the  Assembly's 
Catechism,  and  come  and  talk  with  me  again.  Several 
of  them  did  so,  and  came  with  tears  in  their  eyes,  and 
are  now  witnesses  that  God  hath  power  on  earth  to  for- 
give sins." 

Soon,  two  of  his  brothers,  his  wife,  his  mother,  his 
aunt,  two  of  his  cousins,  and  many  of  his  neighbors 
were  converted.  Soon  the  house  became  too  small  for 
the  crowds  that  waited  upon  him  when  he  returned 
from  his  daily  employment,  as  a  stonecutter ;  and  he 
too  had  to  take  to  the  open  air.  The  writer  has  been 
in  that  good  old  house,  and  marked  with  interest  the 
old  door  yard  in  which  the  honest  stonemason  preached 
the  Gospel  so  successfully  to  his  neighbors.  His  labors 
and  wonderful  success  as  recorded  in  his .  interesting 


REFORMATION    OF    SIXTEENTH    CENTURY.        121 

journal,  from  which  I  have  quoted  the  above  are  well 
known.  We  have  quoted  sufficient  to  establish  our  po- 
sition, viz:  that  John  Nelson,  like  the  Wesleys  and 
Whitefield,  was  powerless  for  good  -up  to  the  period 
marked  in  history :  from  that  period  he  was  a  power, 
as  really  and  truly,  as  were  the  noted  characters  pre- 
viously presented,  though  he  had  neither  the  learning 
nor  the  formal  ordination  which  they  had.  They  were 
powerless  with  these  two  particulars ;  he  was  a  power 
without  them  !  He  obtained  the  power,  and  retained  it 
in  precisely  the  same  way  that  they  obtained  and  re- 
tained it.  And  he  united  in  himself  all  the  nine  par- 
ticulars which  we  have  discovered  in  the  Wesleys  and 
Whitefield,  connected  with  this  power.  The  principles 
and  the  power  always  go  together;  are  never  found 
separate.  You  cannot  find  a  man,  or  a  church,  pos- 
sessing the  one  and  not  the  other.  Hence  we  conclude 
that  the  principles  are  the  conditions  of  the  power.  And 
as  every  man  may  and  should  have  the  principles^ 
every  man  may  and  should  have  the  power.  The 
whole  is  necessary  to  the  full  development  of  the  Chris- 
tian character. 

In  further  support  of  our  position,  we  will  now  glance 
very  briefly  at  the  history  of  Luther  and  that  of  the 
Apostles. 

It  is  well  known  that,  at  the  beginning  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  not  only  the  heathen  world,  but  also 
the  nominally  Christian  world,  was  wrapped  in  dark- 
ness of  unparalleled  density,  only  mitigated  by  a  few 
rays  of  light  that  still  lingered  in  the  valleys  of  the 
Alps,  among  the  ancient  Waldenses.  But  these 
good  people  were  so  shut  in  on  every  side  bv  the 
11 


122  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

Pope  and  the  devil,  that  no  oiie  seemed  capable  of 
passing  beyond  the  valleys  to  carry  the  torch  of  reve- 
lation to  the  benighted  and  perishing  world  outside. 

Now,  I  simply  propose  to  show,  that  God  came  to 
the  rescue,  and  that  he  enlightened  and  saved  in  pre- 
cisely the  same  way  that  he  did  at  the  beginning  of 
the  eighteenth  century. 

Martin  Luther  was  the  son  of  a  miner,  in  Mans- 
feld,  a  little  town  in  Saxony.  His  thoughtful  father 
soon  discovered  in  the  mind  of  young  Luther  a  re- 
markable activity,  and  put  forth  noble  efforts  to  give 
him  a  liberal  education.  He  is  j&nally  sent  to  the 
University  of  Erfurt.  Here,  like  the  Wesleys,  he 
became  distinguished  by  his  close  application  to  his 
studies,  and  by  his  literary  acquirements.  But  the  re- 
ligious tendency  of  his  mind  led  him,  contrary  to  the 
wishes  of  his  father,  to  seek  for  help  in  the  Convent  of 
the  Hermits  of  St.  Augustine.  This  event  took  place 
on  the  17th  of  August,  1505,  when  he  had  reached 
the  age  of  twenty-one  years  and  nine  months. 

In  the  hope  of  obtaining  peace  to  his  troubled  soul, 
and  of  reaching  heaven  at  last,  he  now  prosecutes  with 
intense  ardor  the  pharisaic  and  superstitious  work 
assigned  him,  to  that  end,  in  the  Convent.  But  God, 
who  always  helps  the  sincere,  though  erring  seeker,  did 
not  fail  to  help  this  poor  monk  in  his  superstitious, 
though  honest  efforts.  Hence,  "  He  found,"  says 
D'Aubigne,  "  in  the  convent,  a  Bible  fastened  to  its 
place  by  a  chain,  and  returned  constantly  to  the 
perusal  of  this  enfettered  Bible.  He  little  understood 
the  meaning  of  the  word;  but  it  was,  nevertheless,  his 
most  pleasing  study.     He  was  sometimes  in  the  habit 


REFORMATION   OF    SIXTEENTH    CENTURY.        123 

of  passing  a  whole  day  contemplating  the  subject  of  a 
single  passage."  But  although  the  Pharisee  is  still 
determined  to  save  himself  in  his  own  way,  the  light 
of  revelation  begins  to  penetrate  his  dark  mind,  and 
lead  him  to  doubt  the  possibility  of  his  doing  so. 
Hence  he  is  at  length  led  to  exclaim,  "I  see  myself  to 
be,  in  the  sight  of  God,  a  great  sinner,  and  I  do  not 
believe  it  possible  for  me  to  appease  his  wrath  by  any 
merits  of  my  own." 

But  this  Pharisee,  like  the  Wesleys  long  after,  still 
persevered  in  his  efforts  "  to  establish  his  own  right- 
eousness." Hence,  at  an  after  period  he  says,  "  I  have 
tormented  myself  even  unto  death,  in  order  to  procure 
for  my  troubled  heart  and  agonized  conscience  peace 
with  God ;  but.  surrounded  with  horrible  darkness,  I 
nowhere  found  that  peace."  Again,  when  at  the  point 
of  despair,  he  says,  "  Immediately  I  would  run  to  a 
thousand  shifts  to  appease  the  accusations  of  my  heart. 
I  made  confession  of  ray  sins  every  day ;  but  that 
brought  me  no  relief.  Then,  overwhelmed  with  sorrow, 
I  harassed  my  soul  by  the  multitude  of  my  thoughts. 
Look  here!  I  would  cry  to  myself,  behold  you  are 
still  as  envious  as  ever,  as  impatient,  as  passionate ! 

*  *  *  *  *  It  has  then  been  of  no  use  to  me, 
unhappy  being  that  I  am,  to  have  entered  in  commu- 
nion with  this  holy  order."  The  following,  from 
D'Aubigne,  is  very  affecting  : — "  The  young  monk, 
like  a  shadow,  paced  along  the  lengthened  corridors 
of  the  cloister,  making  their  vaults  riug  with  the 
sounds  of  his  groaning.  His  body  wasted  away,  his 
strength  forsook  him,  and  he  sometimes  remained  in  a 
condition   resembling   the   state   of    death.      On    one 


124  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

occasion,  his  spirits  crushed  with  care,  he  shut  himself 
up  in  his  cell,  and,  for  many  days  and  nights,  forbade 
the  approach  of  any  one  within  its  door.  One  of  his 
friends,  Lucas  Edenberger,  distressed  with  the  conduct 
of  the  unhappy  monk,  and  having  some  presentiment 
of  the  state  of  his  mind,  took  with  him  certain  young 
boys  accustomed  to  sing  in  the  choir,  and  went  to 
knock  at  the  door  of  his  cell.  But  no  one  either 
opened  the  door  or  answered  to  the  call  thus  made. 
The  worthy  Edenberger,  still  more  alarmed,  broke 
open  the  door.  Luther  lay  extended  on  the  floor, 
deprived  of  his  senses,  and  without  exhibiting  any 
symptoms  of  life.  His  friend  strove  in  vain  to  bring 
back  the  use  of  his  faculties.  Then  the  boys  began  to 
sing  a  sweet  hymn.  Their  sweet  voices  acted  as  a  charm 
upon  the  deadened  feelings  of  the  poor  monk,  for 
whom  music  had  always  possessed  a  singular  pleasure. 
By  degrees  he  recovered  his  strength,  his  senses  and 
his  life." 

These  are  but  a  few  of  the  terrible  struggles  through 
which  this  poor  pharisaic  monk  passed  in  his  eflbrts  to 
reach  heaven  by  "climbing  up  some  other  way ;"  but 
they  are  sufficient  to  enable  us  to  appreciate  the  fol- 
lowing reflections,  which  he  made  after  he  had  expe- 
rienced redemption  in  the  blood  of  Jesus.  AVriting  to 
the  duke  Gregory  of  Saxony,  he  says,  "Truly  I  have 
been  a  pious  monk,  and  have  fulfilled  the  regulations 
of  my  order  more  rigidly  than  I  would  Avish  to  express. 
If  ever  a  monk  had  been  able  to  enter  the  gates  of 
heaven  by  means  of  his  monkish  observances,  most 
assuredly  I  should  have  gained  an  entrance  therein. 
A  fact  which  can  be  proved  by  the  whole  of  the  re- 


EEFOFvMATION    OF   SIXTEENTH    CENTURY.        125 

ligious  fraternity  with  whom  I  was  acquainted.  Had 
my  monastic  life  continued  much  longer,  I  would  have 
suffered  the  death  of  martyrdom,  on  account  of  my 
watchings,  prayings,  readings,  and  other  labor." 

But  he  who  sent  Annanias  to  the  penitent  Saul, 
another  pharisee,  now  sends  Staupitz  to  the  pharisaic, 
but  now  self-despairing  Luther,  to  point  him  to  "  the 
Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world." 
"  Wherefore"  said  the  venerable  Staupitz,  "  do  you  tor- 
ment yourself  with  all  these  vain  speculations  and 
high  thoughts?         *****  Look 

to  the  sufferings  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  the  blood  he 
has  shed  for  you ;  it  is  in  these  things  the  grace  of 
God  will  appear  to  you.  In  place  of  making  yourself 
a  martyr  on  account  of  your  faults,  throw  yourself  into 
tlie  arms  of  the  Redeemer.  Trust  you  in  him,  in  the 
u{)rightness  of  his  life,  in  the  expiation  of  his  death." 
Having  received  the  truth  from  the  chained  Bible  in 
the  Convent,  and  then  from  the  lips  of  Staupitz,  the 
Holy  Spirit  now  speaks  that  same  truth  to  Luther,  first 
at  Wirtemberg,  then  at  Bologna;  and,  finally  at  Rome, 
while  the  poor  monk  was  still  striving  to  "  climb  up 
some  other  way,"  while  he  was  literally  climbing  up 
what  were  called  "  Pilot's  Stairs."  The  words  which 
were  mysteriously  spoken  to  his  inmost  soul,  were,  "the 
just  shall  live  by  faith."  Thus  were  his  filthy  rags  of 
pharisaic  and  monkish  righteousness  swept  away,  and 
the  miserable  sinner  was  saved  by  grace  through 
faith,  and  the  monk,  now  transformed  into  a  Chris- 
tian, forsook  Rome  and  pharisaism  at  the  same 
time,  and  having  consecrated  himself  to  his  God  and 
Saviour,  and  being  now  in  possession  of  the  peculiar 
11* 


126  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   W^ITH   MEN. 

power,  he  becomes  the  great  reformer  of  the  sixteenth 
century ! 

To  establish  our  position  beyond  the  possibility  of 
mistake,  we  may  be  permitted  to  give  a  few  additional 
quotations.  We  cannot  deny  ourselves  the  pleasure  of 
giving  D'Aubigne's  reflections  upon  this  important 
event.  "  The  same  eifectual  weapon  that  had  been 
wielded  by  the  apostles,  was  now  at  last  drawn  forth  in 
its  original  brightness,  from  the  armory  of  the  mighty 
God.  At  the  instant  when  Luther  rose  from  his  knees 
in  Rome,  awakened  and  called  to  reason  by  the  same 
words  which  Paul  had  addressed  fifteen  hundred  years 
before  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  same  metropolis,  the 
truth,  until  then  mournfully  bound  and  kept  captured, 
was  also  relieved  from  bondage,  never  again  to  suffer 
imprisonment."  But,  as  our  historian  observes,  we 
must  here  listen  to  Luther's  own  words  : — "  although  I 
was  a  holy  and  irreproachable  monk,  my  conscience 
was  nevertheless  filled  with  trouble  and  despair.  I 
could  not  suffer  this  expression,  the  righteousness  of 
God.  I  did  not  love  this  just  and  holy  God  who  pun- 
ished sinners.  I  was  affected  against  him  with  secret 
rage;  I  hated  him,  because  that,  not  content  with 
alarming  us  with  the  terrors  of  the  law,  and  the  mise- 
ries of  this  life,  ^ve  poor  creatures  already  lost  in 
original  sin,  he  still  augmented  our  torments  by  the 
revelations  of  the  Gospel.  *  *  ^  But,  when  through 
the  Spirit  of  God,  I  was  made  to  comprehend  these 
words,  Avhen  I  learned  how  the  justification  of  the  sin- 
ner proceeded  from  the  pure  mercy  of  the  Lord  by 
means  of  fiiith  *  *  "^  then  I  found  my  nature  re- 
freshed like  a  new  man  ;  I  entered,  a,s  it  were,  at  an 


UEFORMATION   OF   SIXTEENTH   CENTURY.        127 

open  door  into  the  very  Paradise  of  God."  "I  see," 
said  he  on  another  occasion,  "that  the  devil  attacks 
without  ceasing  this  fundamental  article  by  means  of 
his  doctrines,  and  that  he  cannot,  in  respect  of  it,  either 
leave  off  or  take  any  rest.  Very  well,  for  myself  Dr. 
Martin  Luther,  an  unworthy  evangelist  of  our  Lord, 
Jesus  Christ,  I  confess  this  article,  that  faith  alone  jus- 
tifies in  the  sight  of  God,  without  works;  and  I  declare 
that  the  emperor  of  the  Romans,  the  emperor  of  the 
Turks,  the  emperor  of  the  Tartars,  the  emperor  of  the 
Persians,  the  Pope,  all  the  cardinals,  the  bishops,  priests, 
monks,  nuns,  kings,  princes,  everybody  else,  with  all 
devils,  must  allow  it  to  continue  upright,  and  admit 
that  it  shall  forever  endure."  After  continuing  to  pour 
out  his  fervent  spirit  for  some  time,  in  language  similar 
to  the  above,  and  asserting  that  this  doctrine  "  is  found 
in  the  true  and  holy  gospel,"  and  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
the  only  Saviour,  he  adds,  "And  if  it  is  he  alone  who 
can  take  away  sin,  it  cannot  be  lis  wdio  do  so  with  our 
works."  But  good  -works  follow  redemption,  as  the 
fruit  is  seen  upon  the  tree.  This  is  our  doctrine,  it  is 
the  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  received  and  taught  by 
all  holy  Christians.  We  hold  it  in  the  name  of  God. 
Amen."  It  is  quite  clear  that  this  man  believes  wliat 
he  says ;  yea,  and  that  he  knows  it  by  happy  and  un- 
mistakable experience.  Upon  another  occasion,  he 
said,  "  In  my  heart  reigns  single,  and  ought  to  reign 
there  alone,  iaith  in  my  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  only  is 
the  beginning,  the  middle,  and  the  end  of  all  the 
thoughts  w^iich  occupy  my  mind  night  and  day."  This 
language  is  w^orthy  of  a  Christian  reformer,  and  should 
be  the  language  of  all  who  name  the  name  of  Christ. 


128  POWEK    WITH    GOD    AND    WITH    MEN. 

It  was  some  of  these  fervent  and  truly  evangelic  utter- 
ances, that  reached  the  heart  of  John  Wesley  in  a 
house  in  Aldersgate  street,  in  London,  more  than  two 
hundred  years  afterward,  and  led  to  the  reformation  of 
the  eighteenth  century. 

The  above  quotations  are  from  D'Aubigne's  History 
of  the  Reformation.  On  looking  over  Luther's  ser- 
mons, I  find  similar  sentiments,  uttered  with  similar 
fervor,  and  they  are  in  every  sermon,  no  matter  what 
his  text  is.  In  his  sermon  on  Gal.  iv.  1 — 7,  he  says, 
"Neither  is  it  a  controversy  among  the  godly,  that 
man  is  not  justified  by  works,  but  righteousness  must 
come  from  some  other  source  than  from  his  works." 
Again,  "  There  are  two  sorts  of  works ;  those  before 
justification,  and  those  after  it ;  these  last  are  -good 
w^orks,  indeed,  but  the  former  only  appear  to  be  good." 
Of  the  latter,  he  says,  "  These  are  not  the  works  of 
nature,  but  of  grace."  Again,  "  He  that  studieth  to 
fulfil  the  law  without  fiiith,  continues  a  persecutor  both 
of  faith  and  the  law,  until  he  come  to  himself,  and 
cease  to  trust  in  his  own  works ;  he  then  gives  glory  to 
God,  who  justifies  the  ungodly,  and  acknowledgeth 
himself  to  be  nothing,  and  sighs  for  the  grace  of  God, 
of  which  he  knows  that  he  hath  need.  Faith  and  grace 
now  fill  his  empty  mind,  and  satisfy  his  hunger,  then 
follow  works  which  are  truly  good."  And  these  works, 
he  says,  are  "of  the  spirit  of  faith  and  grace."  In  his 
sermon  on  Luke,  chap.  vi.  36-42,  he  says,  "  We  should 
place  our  trust  and  confidence  in  God  alone  for  what- 
soever things  we  need,  for  we  enjoy  no  blessing,  either 
temporal  or  spiritual,  that  does  not  proceed  from  his 
bounteous  grace  and  goodness.     But  there   are  some 


REFORMATION    OF    SIXTEENTH    CENTURY.        129 

who  place  confidence  in  themselves,  and  in  other  men; 
who  rest  upon  their  traditions,  and  put  their  trust  in 
things  that  some  great  man  hath  invented.  Of  such 
God  speaketh  in  Jer.  ii.  13 :  '  For  my  people  have 
committed  two  greart  evils ;  they  have  forsaken  me,  the 
fountain  of  living  water,  and  have  hewn  them  out  cis- 
terns, broken  cisterns,  that  can  hold  no  water.'  In  the 
same  manner,  the  papists  of  the  present  time,  forsaking 
the  way  of  life,  which  is  faith  in  Christ,  look  for  salva- 
tion through  their  own  w^orks,  such  as  their  fastings 
and  formal  prayers,  and  the  celebration  of  masses 
which  they  have  instituted.  This  religion  of  rites  and 
forms,  though  it  may  appear  to  them  a  living  fountain, 
is  nevertheless  a  broken  cistern,  capable  of  holding  no 
water."  When  his  text  is  the  first  commandment,  he 
preaches  the  same  doctrine.  He  shows  that  "idolatry 
reigns  in  the  bosom  of  every  man,  until  he  is  freely 
healed  by  the  faith  which  is  in  Jesus  Christ."  Being 
thus  saved,  he  says,  "  nothing  remains  with  you  but 
Jesus,  Jesus  alone ;  Jesus  proving  sufficient  to  gratify 
every  longing  of  your  soul.  No  longer  hoping  for  any 
assistance  from  any  creature,  you  look  exclusively  to 
Christ,  from  whom  you  hope  to  receive  all,  and  whom 
you  love  more  than  all  beside.  Now  Jesus  is  the  only 
true  God.  When  you  possess  him  for  your  God,  you 
no  longer  possess  any  other  gods."  Such  is  Luther's 
method  of  curing  all  idolators.  And  just  such  is  the 
cure,  which  the  apostle  John  offers  in  the  folloAving 
words,  having,  like  Luther,  preached  Jesus,  he  adds, 
"  This  is  the  true  God,  and  eternal  life.  Little  chil- 
dren, keep  yourselves  from  Idols.  Amen."  Nor  is 
there  any  other  cure  for  idolatry.    Where  this  doctrine 


130  POWER   WITH   OOD   AND   WITH   MEX. 

is  received  idolatry  cannot  exist ;  where  it  is  not  re- 
ceived, and  preached,  idolatry  will  exist  and  reign, 
either  in  a  ritualistic,  or  some  other  form.  Truly,  it  is 
with  a  poor  grace  that  a  Church  professes  the  doctrines 
of  the  Reformation,  and  yet  returns  to  ritualism,  and 
covers  herself  with  the  trappings  of  popish  superstition 
and  idolatry.  The  Church  that  does  not  hold  and 
preach  the  great  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  alone, 
must,  to  be  consistent,  reject  both  Protestantism  and 
the  Bible ;  for,  all  that  is  vital  in  t^e  Bible,  all  that  is 
vital  in  Protestantism,  is  essentially  connected  with 
this  doctrine.  Hence,  it  is  not  possible  for  any  Church 
or  individual  to  have  the  power  of  which  we  speak  till 
this  doctrine  is  embraced. 

It  will  be  seen  by  all  who  examine  the  historic  facts 
here  given,  that  Martin  Luther  united  in  himself  all 
the  nine  principles  which  we  have  specified  as  the 
conditions  of  this  power ;  and  from  the  time  he  did  so, 
he  was  a  power,  while  before  that  time  he  was  utterly 
helpless.  In  short,  both  before  and  after,  he  was,  in 
every  essential  particular,  like  the  men  previously 
mentioned. 

AVith  the  history  of  the  apostles,  and  the  reforma- 
tion of  their  times,  all  are,  or  should  be,  familiar. 
Hence  it  is  only  necessary  to  challenge  a  comparison 
of  the  historic  records  of  the  New  Testament  with 
those  here  given.  We  are  confident  that  every  intelli- 
gent person  who  will  be  at  the  trouble  of  doin^'  so, 
will  discover  a  perfect  harmony  between  the  two 
records,  and  that  the  principles  and  the  power  here 
specified,  and  exhibited  in  the  facts  of  history,  are 
found  in  every  truly  Christian  man,  and  in  every  truly 


REFORMATION   OF   FIRST   CENTURY.  131 

Christian  Church.  The  principles  and  the  power 
always  go  together ;  they  are  never  found  separate ; 
they  are  as  inseparable  as  are  matter  and  figure. 

To  present  this  subject  with  the  utmost  clearness, 
even  to  those  who  are  too  indolent  to  make  a  more 
lengthened  comparison,  we  will  glance  at  the  case  of 
St.  Paul. 

He  tells  us  that  he  was  "  a  Pharisee,  the  son  of  a 
Pharisee."  Pie  says,  "  after  the  straitest  sect  of  our 
religion,  I  lived  a  Pharisee."  And,  like  Luther,  he 
tells  his  Pharisaic  brethren  that  they  could  "  testify  " 
to  the  truth  of  this  statement,  "if  they  would."  See 
Acts  xxiii.  6,  and  xxvi.  5.  Again,  "  If  any  other  man 
thinketh  that  he  hath  whereof  he  might  trust  in  the 
flesh,  I  more  ;  circumcised  the  eighth  day,  of  the  stock 
of  Israel,  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  an  Hebrew  of  the 
Hebrews ;  as  touching  the  law,  a  Pharisee,  concerning 
zeal,  persecuting  the  Church,  touching  the  righteous- 
ness which  is  in  the  law,  blameless.  But  what  things 
were  gain  to  me,  those  I  counted  loss  for  Christ.  Yea, 
doubtless,  and  I  count  all  things  but  loss  for  the 
excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  my.  Lord  ; 
for  whom  I  have  suffered  the  loss  of  all  things,  and  do 
count  them  but  dung  that  I  may  win  Christ,  and  be 
found  in  him,  not  having  mine  own  righteousness, 
which  is  of  the  law,  but  that  which  is  through  the 
faith  of  Christ,  the  righteousness  which  is  of  God  by 
faith ;  that  I  may  know  him,  and  the  power  of  his 
resurrection,  and  the  fellowship  of  his  sufferings,  being 
made  conformable  unto  his  death,  if  by  any  means  I 
might  attain  unto  the  resurrection  of  the  dead."  Phil, 
iii.  1,  11.     In  his  epistle  to  the  Galatians  chap.  i.  13, 


132  POWER    WITH    GOD    AND    WITH   MEN. 

16,  he  says,  "  For  ye  have  heard  of  my  conversation 
in  time  past,  in  the  Jews'  religion,  how  that  beyond 
measure  I  persecuted  the  Church  of  God,  and  wasted 
it ;  and  profited  in  the  Jews'  religion  above  many 
my  equals  in  mine  own  nation,  being  more  exceeding 
zealous  of  the  traditions  of  my  fathers.  But  when  it 
pleased  God,  who  separated  me  from  my  mother's 
womb,  and  called  me  by  his  grace,  to  reveal  his  son  in 
me,  that  I  might  preach  him  among  the  heathen, 
immediately  I  conferred  not  with  flesh  and  blood." 
Now,  let  no  one  glance  hastily  at  these  quotations,  as 
though  everybody  understood  and  believed  them 
already.  Examine  them  carefully  and  you  will  see 
that  Paul's  record  of  himself  is  essentially  one  with 
that  of  Luther,,  the  Wesleys,  Whitefield,  and  John 
Nelson.  The  same  doctrine,  the  same  experience,  the 
same  consecration,  the  same  practice,  and  the  same 
poiver.  Before  justification  by  faith,  Paul  was  as  power- 
less as  was  Luther  the  pharisaic  monk,  but  as  soon 
as  he  is  justified  by  faith  alone,  he  is  a  power  and 
becomes  one  of  those  who  "  turn  the  world  ujDside 
down;"  being  determined  "to  know  nothing  among 
men  save  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified,"  he  wields 
a  power  that  is  felt  by  all  worlds.  He  who  before 
"  made  havock  of  the  Church,  and  wasted  it,"  now 
makes  havoc  alike  of  gentile  philosophy  and  pharisaic 
traditions,  exclaiming,  "  Where  is  the  wise  ?  Where 
is  the  scribe  ?  Where  is  the  disputer  of  this  world  ? 
Hath  not  God  made  foolish  the  wisdom  of  this  world  ? 
For  after  that  in  the  wisdom  of  God  the  world  by 
wisdom  knew  not  God,  it  pleased  God  by  the  foolish- 
ness of  preaching  to  save  them  that  believe.     For  the 


REFORMATION   OF    FIRST   CENTURY.  133^ 

Jews  require  a  sign,  and  the  Greeks  seek  after  wisdom, 
but  we  preach  Christ  crucified,  unto  the  Jews  a  stumb- 
ling-block, and  unto  the  Greeks  foolishness  ;  but  unto 
them  Avhich  are  called  both  Jews  and  Greeks,  Christ 
the  power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God."  Now, 
anticipating  the  contemptuous  and  contemptible  objec- 
tions of  proud  pharisees,  and  proud  philosophers,  he 
exclaims,  "I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ: 
for  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one 
that  believeth,  to  the  Jew  first,  and  also  to  the  Greek. 
For  therein  is  the  righteousness  of  God  revealed  from 
faith  to  faith  ;  as  it  is  written.  The  just  shall  live  by 
fliith." 

It  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  Paul  and  Luther  look 
out  upon  the  world  and  with  similar  zeal  and  courage, 
hurl  defiance  at  all  the  enemies  of  Christ  and  the 
Gospel.  In  conclusion,  we  simply  call  attention  to  the 
oneness  of  the  men,  the  principles,  and  the  poivei-,  that 
God  employed  in  the  reformations  of  the  first,  six- 
'    "-ri  tVift  eiorhteenth  centuries. 


12 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Between  the  position  specified,  and  that  of  the  Pharisee,  there 
is  no  medium — Phai'isees,  Sadducees,  and  Herodians,  are 
presented  in  Scripture  as  representative  classes  of  character, 
and  are,  as  they  ever  have  been,  the  grand  enemies  of  Chris- 
tianity— Pharisaism  is  fully  investigated,  by  reference  to 
Scripture  and  History — The  principle  upon  which  Pharisa- 
ism rests,  is  that  of  human  merit;  that  upon  which  Christiani- 
ty rests,  is  grace  coming  through  the  merit  of  the  atonement — All 
who  seek  at  all,  rest  their  expectations  upon  one  of  these  two 
principles — Grace  and  faith  go  together,  as  do  merit  and 
works — Pharisaism  embraces  a  great  variety  of  characters, 
but  they  all  rest  upon  the  same  principle,  viz:  merit;  hence 
the  appeal  is  to  naked  justice :  while  the  Christian  rests 
upon  the  atonement  and  expects  all  of  mere  grace — The  Phari- 
see and  the  Publican  are  presented  as  the  representatives  of 
the  two  systems — Salvation  by  works,  was,  and  is,  an  eter- 
nal impossibility — The  transition  from  Pharisaism  to  Saddu- 
cism  is  easy  and  frequent,  and,  to  some  extent,  inevitable — 
Sadducean  history  fully  examined,  and  Sadducean  charac- 
ter, ancient  and  modern,  carefully  delineated ;  and  its  evil 
tendencies  exposed — It  is  not  possible  for  those  who  think,  to 
rest  in  Pharisaism  ;  hence,  those  who  think,  either  fall  back 
upon  Bible  truth,  or  pass  to  Sadducism,  and  thence  to  all 
kinds  of  skepticism — An  interesting  account  and  thrilling 
description  of  Herodians,  ancient  and  modern — These  three 
systems  concentrated,  and  formed  that  horrible  thing  called 
Popery — How  saved  from  all  these  errors. 

PHARISAISM. 

But  suppose  you  have  not  the  power  of  which  we 
have  been  speaking,  because  3^ou  have  not  the  princi- 
(134) 


PHARISAISM.  135 

pies  which  are  essential  to  its  existence,  what  then? 
Why,  just  this;  at  the  very  best  you  are  a  Pharisee; 
for  between  the  position  here  specified,  and  that  of  the 
Pharisee,  there  is  no  medium.  Of  course  we  do  not 
here  include  the  state  of  the  penitent,  which  is  a  transi- 
tion state.  Nor  do  we  include  the  case  of  the  heathen; 
we  do  not  think  that  their  case  belongs  to  the  subject 
under  discussion :  but  having  discovered  and  developed 
moral  power,  and  the  principles  essential  thereto,  w^e 
now  purpose  to  point  out  the  grand  principles  of  error 
which  are  essentially  opposed  thereto ;  so  much  so,  that 
both  cannot  exist  in  the  same  mind  at  the  same  time ; 
either  must  exclude  the  other.  We  believe  that  all  in 
Christendom  who  have  not  embraced  the  principles 
and  power  which  we  have  specified,  are  either  Phari- 
sees, Sadducees,  or  Herodians.  These  are  the  grand 
enemies  of  Christianity.  Hence,  we  purpose,  to  expose 
these  grand  errors,  to  the  end  they  may  be  dispossessed 
of  the  ground  which  they  now  occupy,  so  that  the  prin- 
ciples and  power  of  which  we  speak  may  take  their 
place.  This  has  been,  still  is,  and  ever  w^ill  be,  the 
great  work  of  the  Christian  reformer.  So  long  as  it  is 
even  tacitly  admitted,  that  men  may  be  destitute  of  the 
principles  and  power  specified,  and  yet  be  Christians, 
it  is  in  vain  that  we  look  for  Christian  reformation.  It 
was  not  thus  that  the  reformations  of  the  first,  sixteenth 
and  eighteenth  centuries  were  produced,  as  may  be 
clearly  seen  by  reference  to  the  historic  facts  which  we 
have  adduced.  And  it  was  for  this  purpose  that  we 
adduced  them. 

The  Pharisees,  the  Sadducees,  and  the   Herodians 
are  presented  to  us  in  the  New  Testament  as  the  great 


136  POWER    WITH    GOD   AND    WITH    MEN. 

enemies  of  Jesus,  his  teachings,  and  his  followers; 
sometimes  separately,  and  sometimes  combinedly.  For 
a  time  our  blessed  Lord  was  popular  with  the  masses 
of  the  people;  "  The  common  people  heard  him  glad- 
ly," till  they  were  perverted  and  moved  to  opposition 
by  the  leaders  of  these  classes.  We  believe  that  these 
three  classes  are  presented  to  us  in  Scripture  as  repre- 
sentative characters,  and  that  they  still  exist,  and  are 
still  the  grand  enemies  of  Jesus,  his  teachings,  and  his 
followers.  And  as  we  purpose  to  show  that  all  in 
Christendom  who  do  not  embrace,  theoretically  and 
experimentally,  the  grand  doctrine  of  justification  by 
faith,  belong  to  one  or  other  of  these  three  classes,  it 
will  be  necessary  to  point  out  the  distinguishing  charac- 
teristics and  principles  of  each  sect.  It  is  cause  of 
thankfulness  that  the  New  Testament  furnishes  ample 
material  for  this  purpose,  and,  by  the  way,  this  fact 
marks  the  importance  of  the  subject ;  God  has  set  a 
mark  upon  them  as  he  did  on  Cain,  the  first  Pharisee. 
Of  the  better  class  of  Pharisees,  Paul  gives  us  the 
following  comprehensive  and  lucid  description:  "For  I 
bear  them  record  that  they  have  a  zeal  for  God,  but  not 
according  to  knowledge.  For  they,  being  ignorant  of 
God's  righteousness,  and  going  about  to  establish  their 
own  righteousness,  have  not  submitted  themselves  to 
the  righteousness  of  God."  In  his  epistle  to  the  Phil. 
Chap,  iii.,  he  tells  us  what  he  means  by  the  "righteous- 
ness of  God,"  as  distinguished  from  that  of  a  Pharisee. 
Having  given  us  his  own  character  and  experience  as 
a  Pharisee  specifying  the  things  in  which  he  gloried, 
he  says,  "But  what  things  were  gain  to  me,  those 
I  counted  loss  for  Christ,  yea,  doubtless,  and  I  count 


PHARISAISM.  13*7 

all  things  but  loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge 
of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord,  for  whom  I  have  suffered  the 
loss  of  all  things,  and  do  count  them  but  dung  that  I 
may  win  Christ,  and  be  found  in  him,  not  having  mine 
own  righteousness,  which  is  of  the  law,  but  that  which 
is  through  the  faith  of  Christ,  the  righteousness  which  is 
of  God  by  faith."  Again,  Eom.  iv.  3-5,  "  For  what 
saith  the  Scripture  ?  Abraham  believed  God,  and  it  was 
counted  unto  him  for  righteousness.  Now  to  him  that 
worketh  is  the  reward  not  reckoned  of  grace,  but  of 
debt.  But  to  him  that  w^orketh  not,  but  believeth  on 
him  that  justifieth  the  ungodly,  his  faith  is  counted  for 
righteousness."  Let  it  be  well  observed,  that  according 
to  this  teaching,  grace,  faith  and  righteousness  go  to- 
gether, and  that  the  Pharisee  by  "going  about  to 
establish  his  own  righteousness  "  by  his  works,  thereby 
excludes /aii^  and  grace,  and  thus  renders  righteousness 
impossible,  for  "  by  the  deeds  of  the  law  shall  no  flesh 
living  be  justified."  It  follows  that  the  Pharisaic 
method  presents  an  absolute  antagonism  to  the  economy 
of  grace,  for  "  to  him  that  worketh  is  the  reward  not 
reckoned  of  grace,  but  of  debt,"  and  this  excludes  the 
very  idea  of  grace !  If  what  I  receive  is  the  mere  pay- 
ment of  a  debt  for  work  done,  I  receive  it  not  of  grace, 
but  of  naked  justice.  Hence,  the  Apostle  says,  "  it  is 
of  faith,  that  it  might  be  by  grace."  Nor  is  there  any 
medium  between  Paul's  position  and  that  of  the  Phari- 
see. This  is  asserted  by  him  in  his  epistle  to  the  Ro- 
mans, Chap.  xi.  6.  "And  if  by  grace,  then  is  it  no 
more  of  works,  otherwise  grace  is  no  more  grace.  But 
if  it  be  of  works,  then  it  is  no  more  grace ;  otherwise, 
work  is  no  more  work.  If  it  is  by  grace,  it  is  not  by 
12* 


138      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

works,  and  if  it  is  by  works,  it  is  not  by  grace.  These 
two  principles  are  absolutely  opposed,  the  one  to  the 
other,  so  much  so  that  either  one  absolutely  excludes 
the  other;  and,  observe,  every  one  who  seeks  righteous- 
ness at  all,  must  seek,  it  in  one  of  these  two  ways ;  there 
is  absolutely  no  medium;  we  are  shut  up  to  this  alter- 
native; we  must  seek  by  faith  or  by  works.  Hence,  we 
repeat,  between  the  Christian  and  the  Pharisee  there  is 
no  medium  ;  these  two  classes  comprehend  all  in  Chris- 
tendom who  are  not  Sadducees,  or  Herodians,  and 
these  two  last  classes  cannot  be  said  to  seek  at  all,  as 
we  shall  show ;  they  have  got  away  beyond  the  region 
where  seekers  live ;  they  cannot  be  classed  either  with 
Christians,  Pharisees,  or  heathens. 

Seeing  pharisaic  righteousness  is  the  only  substitute 
for  God's  righteousness,  and  seeing  all  who  do  not  seek 
by  grace  through  faith  are  "going  about  to  establish 
their  own  righteousness,"  if  they  seek  at  all,  we  will 
quote  another  passage  of  holy  writ  to  show  with  the 
utmost  clearness  how  a  Pharisee  goes  about  to  establish 
his  own  righteousness.  We  think  our  blessed  Lord  has 
given  us  the  clearest  possible  view  of  this  whole  sub- 
ject in  the  following  narrative  or  parable,  and  his  com- 
ment upon  it.  This  parable  is  in  the  18th  chapter  of 
Luke,  and  reads  thus : — "And  he  spake  this  parable 
unto  certain  who  trusted  in  themselves  that  they  were 
righteous,  [margin,  as  being  righteous,]  and  despised 
others :  two  men  went  up  into  the  temple  to  pray,  the 
one  a  Pharisee,  and  the  other  a  publican.  The  Pharisee 
Btood  and  prayed  thus  with  himself:  God,  I  thank  thee 
that  I  am  not  as  other  men  are,  extortioners,  unjust, 
adulterers,  or  even  as  this  publican.     I  fast  twice  in  the 


PHAETSATSM.  139 

week ;  I  give  tithes  of  all  that  I  possess.  And  the 
publican  standing  afar  off,  would  not  lift  up  so  much 
as  his  eyes  to  heaven,  but  smote  upon  his  breast,  saying, 
God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner.  I  tell  you,  this  man 
went  dow^i  to  his  house  justified,  rather  than  the  other, 
for  every  one  that  exalteth  himself  shall  be  abased, 
and  he  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted."  We 
doubt  whether  it  is  possible  to  have  a  more  striking 
test  of  the  two  principles,  salvation  by  grace,  and  sal- 
vation by  works,  than  that  here  given.  God  being  the 
judge,  the  one  is  a  perfect  failure,  and  the  other  a  per- 
fect success ;  though  on  the  one  hand,  the  pharisaic 
system  is  represented  by  one  of  the  best  pharisees  that 
can  be  produced ;  while  on  the  other  hand,  God's  plan 
of  salvation  is  tested  by  a  publican,  a  more  than  ordi- 
nary sinner,  acknowledged  to  be  such,  both  by  himself 
and  all  others.  The  Pharisee  pleads  the  best  works 
that  a  Pharisee  can  offer,  but  he  is  rejected,  he  remains 
unpardoned,  unsaved,  a  pharisaic  sinner  in  the  sight 
of  God,  though  a  saint  in  his  own  estimation ;  while 
the  other  makes  no  mention  of  his  righteousness,  hon- 
estly denies  that  he  has  any,  acknowledges  that  he  is  a 
sinner,  and  as  such,  simply  cities  for  mercy.  The  result 
is,  God  forgives ;  he  saves  the  penitent,  praying  sinner, 
just  as  he  saved  the  Wesleys,  Whitefield,  Nelson,  Lu- 
ther, Paul ;  and  the  publican  goes  "  down  to  his  house 
justified,"  exclaiming,  doubtless,  "  O  to  grace  how  great 
a  debtor."  While  the  Pharisee  goes  away,  still  making 
mention  of  his  own  righteousness,  and  still  determined 
to  purchase  heaven  by  offering  his  mint,  his  ani^e,  and 
his  cummin,  instead  of  the  atonement  of  Christ.  And,  - 
by  the  way,  this  is  the  true  idea  of  pharisaism;  it  offers 


140  POWER    WITH    GOD    AND    WITH   MEN. 

to  eternal  justice,  ''mint,  anise  and  cummin,"  or  ritual- 
istic trumpery,  instead  of  the  atonement  of  Jesus  Christ. 
And,  observe,  this  is  true  of  all  who  are  seeking,  but  not 
seeking  justification  by  faith  alone.  To  all  such  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Psalmist  is  entirely  applicable,  "  Ye  fools, 
when  will  ye  be  wise  ? " 

But  let  us  examine  the  character  and  principles  of 
this  Pharisee  still  more  minutely ;  this  is  tho  more 
necessary  as  he  is  a  representative  character.  This  is 
evident  from  the  fact  that  this  parable  is  addressed  to 
ALL  "  who  trust  in  themselves  that  they  are  righteotis, 
and  despise  others,"  as  all  Pharisees  do,  and  this  man 
is  given  as  a  living  specimen  of  all  such.  He  "  went 
up  into  the  temple  to  pray,"  but  he  evidently  did  not 
know  the  meaning  of  the  word  pray,  for  he  never 
offered  up  a  single  jDetition.  How  could  he,  seeing  he 
"  trusted  in  himself"  as  being  righteous  already  ? 
Like  the  Laodiceans  he  considered  himself  "  rich  and 
increased  in  goods  and  had  need  of  nothing,"  while, 
like  them,  he  knew  not  that  he  was  "wretched,  and 
miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind,  and  naked."  "  The 
Pharisee  stood  and  prayed  thus  with  himself,"  yes, 
jiust  THUS,  "God,  I  thank  thee  that  I  am  not  as  other 
men."  Mark,  a  Pharisee  is  always  comparing  himself 
with  others,  and,  of  course,  he  always  brings  himself 
off  first  best,  as  in  this  case.  Dr.  Adam  Clark,  in  his 
comment  on  this  text  gives  a  remarkable  instance,  as 
illustrative  of  the  fact  here  stated  : — "  Rabbi  Simeon, 
the  son  of  Jochai,  said,  if  there  were  only  thirty  right- 
eous persons  in  the  world,  I  and  my  son  should  make 
two  of  them  ;  but  if  there  were  but  twenty,  I  and  my 
son  would  be  of  the  number :  and   if  there  were  but 


'     PHARISAISM.  141 

ten,  I  and  my  son  would  be  of  the  number;  and  if  there 
were  but  five,  I  and  my  son  would  be  of  the  five  ;  and  if 
there  were  but  two,  I  and  my  son  would  be  those  two  : 
and  if  there  were  but  one,  myself  should  be  that  one." 
"  This,"  adds  the  doctor,  "  is  a  genuine  specimen  of 
Pharisaic  pride."  No  marvel  that  such  a  man 
"prayed  thus  with  himself,  God,  I  thank  thee."  Like 
Cain,  and  all  other  Deists,  he  could  bring  a  thank- 
offering  but  no  sacrifice,  no  atonement  for  sin,  for  he  did 
not  believe  he  had  any  sin  that  rendered  an  atonement 
necessary;  hence,  we  are  told  that  lie  exalted  himself, 
and  trusted  in  himself  that  he  was  righteous.  The  sum 
of  his  righteousness,  as  stated  by  himself,  was  this:  he 
was  free  from  certain  outward  sins ;  he  attended  the 
public  ordinances,  after  the  Pharisaic  fashion,  of 
course ;  he  fasted  twice  in  the  week,  and  he  paid 
tithes  of  all  that  he  possessed.  Of  course  it  will  not 
be  supposed  that  all  Pharisees  go  this  far ;  this  is 
given  as  the  very  best  specimen,  of  the  best  right- 
eousness that  the  best  Pharisee  can  offer  ;  it  is  all  that 
this  Pharisee  claimed,  and  with  it  he  was  entirely 
satisfied.  It  must  be  observed,  too,  that  all  the  right- 
eousness here  specified,  is  merely  outward ;  inward  re- 
ligion, holiness  of  heart,  is  not  so.  much  as  thought  of, 
nor  is  there  the  slightest  reference  to  pardon  or  to  the 
work,  or  witness  of  the  Spirit ;  though  all  these  have 
a  prominent  place  in  the  promises  and  prayers  of  the 
Old  Testament  Scripture,  so  that  this  Pharisee  was 
without  excuse,  and  so  are  all  Pharisees.  But  the  fact 
is,  natural  powers  and  natural  laws,  are  entirely  compe- 
tent to  produce  Pharisaic  righteousness,  hence  the  su- 
pernatural is  neither  sought  nor  desired ;  a  Pharisee  feels 


142      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

entirely  competent  to  do  his  own  work,  which  is  merely 
outward,  and,  at  best,  the  merest  semblance  of  God's 
righteousness  leaving  the  heart  unchanged  and  corrupt. 
It  is  of  this,  the  best  class  of  Pharisees,  that  our  Lord 
says,  "  Now  do  ye  Pharisees  make  clean  the  outside  of 
the  cup  and  platter,  but  your  inward  part  is  full  of 
ravening  and  wickedness."  Hence  he  solemnly  declares, 
"  That  except  your  righteousness  shall  exceed  the 
righteousness  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  ye  shall  in 
no  case  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  This  is 
final.  He  that  hath  an  ear  let  him  hear  !  And,  mark 
well,  no  righteousness  of  fallen  man  is  any  better,  or 
any  other,  than  that  of  the  Pharisee,  except  "  the 
righteousness  of  God,  which  is  by  faith  of  Jesus 
Christ,  unto  all  and  upon  all  that  believe."  Justifica- 
tion, regeneration,  sanctification,  adoption,  assurance, 
love,  peace,  joy,  all  follow  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  and 
cannot  go  before,  for  faith  is  the  condition  of  this  salva- 
tion, every  part  of  which  is  the  work  of  the  eternal 
Spirit,  coming  to  us,  and  working  in  us,  for  the  sake 
of  what  Christ  has  done  and  suffered. 

Such  is  the  righteousness  of  God,  and  such  is  the 
way  in  which  it  is  obtained.  Therefore  between  this 
doctrine  and  Pharisaism  there  is  no  medium.  All 
who  do  not  seek  this  righteousness,  in  this  way,  are 
Pharisees  if  they  seek  at  all.  In  the  matter  of  salva- 
tion we  are  shut  up  to  one  of  two  principles,  merit  or 
grace,  and  equally  shut  up  to  one  of  two  conditions 
faith  or  imrks.  Works  imply  merit,  faith  implies 
grace.  And  either  principle  excludes  the  other.  Hence 
Paul  says,  "  If  by  grace,  then  is  it  no  more  of  works : 
but  if  it  be  of  works,  then  is  it  no  more  of  grace." 


PHARISAISM.  143 

And  as  salvation  by  works  is  impossible,  the  apostle 
says,  "  It  is  of  faith,  that  it  might  be  by  grace  J^  Again, 
Eph.  ii.  5,  "  By  grace  are  ye  saved."  And  yet,  again, 
verse  8,  "  For  by  grace  are  ye  saved,  through  faith,  and 
that  not  of  yourselves  :  it  is  the  gift  of  God :  not  of 
works,  lest  any  man  should  boast.  For  we  are  his 
workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good 
works,  which  God  hath  before  ordained  that  we  should 
walk  in  them."  The  fact  is,  justification  or  pardon  by 
works,  implies  a  positive  contradiction ;  for  work 
implies  merit,  and  ^nerit  excludes  the  very  idea  of 
j)ardon.  Hence  Universalists,  very  consistently  with 
their  principle,  which  is,  that  we  all  suffer  in  this  life 
according  to  the  extent  of  our  sins,  say  there  can  be 
no  such  thing  as  pardon.  Very  true,  if  your  principle 
is  true.  But,  remember,  your  principle  is  not  true,  if 
Scripture  teaching  is  true ;  for,  according  to  that 
teaching,  it  is  by  grace  ive  are  saved  through  faith." 
The  whole  "  is  the  gift  of  God,"  faith  the  condition. 
"  Not  of  works,  lest  any  man  should  boast."  It  will 
be  well,  too,  for  Universalists  to  remember,  that  they 
are  of  the  sect  of  the  Pharisees,  and  so  are  all  others 
who  seek  salvation  in  any  other  way  than  "  by  grace 
through  faith,"  for,  I  repeat  it,  between  this  doctrine 
and  Pharisaism  there  is  notmedium.  Men  may  call 
themselves  what  they  please,  but  if  they  seek  or 
expect  salvation  at  all,  their  whole  religious  system 
must  rest  upon  one  of  these  two  principles,  salvation 
by  grace  through  faith ;  or  salvation  by  merit,  through 
works.  If  they  consistently  act  out  the  former  princi- 
ple, they  are  Christians  ;  if  the  latter,  they  are  Phari- 
sees, and  as  such,  "shall  in  no  case  enter  into  the 


144      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

kiugdom  of  heaven."     "  The  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath 
spoken  it." 

It  is  only  by  examining  these  principles,  jnerit  and 
grace,  faith  and  works,  that  we  can  form  anything  like 
a  just  conception  of  the  number,  the  vast  number  of 
Pharisees.  If  you  are  a  Christian,  and  would  test  this 
matter  more  fully,  just  do  the  following :  Converse 
closely  with  the  first  non-professor  you  meet.  He  has 
not  sought  and  obtained  pardon  by  faith  in  Jesus ;  to 
this  religion  he  makes  no  pretensions.  Yet  he  expects 
to  go  to  heaven  when  he  dies.  Why?  Examine  close- 
ly, and  you  will  probably  find  that  his  expectation 
rests  upon  something  like  this:  "He  is  not  as  other 
men  are."  He  is  free  from  certain  outward  sins ;  he 
does  many  good  things,  and,  perhaps,  he  goes  to  Church ; 
and  if  he  does  not,  it  is  because  he  despises  those  who 
do,  and  considers  himself  much  better  than  most  of 
them.  Now,  compare  this  with  the  statements  of  the 
Pharisee  as  given  above,  and  you  will  find  it  substan- 
tially the  same.  Hence  lie  is  a  Pharisee.  Let  any  one 
who  is  comparatively  moral,  but  who  has  not  expe- 
rienced what  is  specified,  Eom.  v.  1,  2,  examine  him- 
self closely,  and  he  will  find,  I  doubt  not,  that  his  hopes 
of  heaven  rest  on  substantially  the  same  basis.  Hence, 
you,  too,  are  a  Pharisee.  iTo  doubt  you  take  into  ac- 
count the  fact,  that  God  is  good,  hence  you  are  saved, 
simply  because  God  is  good  and  you  are  not  very  bad. 
You  forget  that  it  is  the  ungodly,  the  sinner,  that  God 
saves  hy  grace  through  faith.  Moreover,  if  the  simple 
fact  that  God  is  good,  saves  you,  it  will,  of  course,  save 
all ;  so  that  your  Pharisaism  runs  in  the  direction  of 
Universalism.     You  forget,  too,  that  although  God  is 


PHARISAISM.  145 

good,  he  says,  "he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned." 
"  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life ; 
and  he  that  believeth  not  the  Son,  shall  not  see  life ; 
but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him."  Hence  it  is 
evident  that  the  mere  fact  that  God  is  good,  does  not 
save  sinners  from  suffering,  either  here  or  hereafter. 
Examine  still  more  carefully  and  you  will  probably 
discover  as  did  Luther  when  he  was  a  Pharisaic  monk, 
that  you  consider  all  this  unjust;  that  you  secretly  hate 
this  God ;  and,  remember,  there  is  no  other  God :  this 
is  the  only  true  God ;  and  this  is  the  only  true  religion ; 
and  this  is  the  only  way  in  which  this  true  religion  can 
be  obtained.  So  that  after  all,  if  the  Bible  is  true,  you 
are  without  hope  and  without  God  in  the  world.  More- 
over, if,  as  you  think,  it  would  be  unjust  for  God  to 
shut  out  of  heaven  such  amiable  persons,  as  you  think 
yourself  and  other  Pharisees  are,  you  thereby  think 
that  he  is  bound  in  justice  to  receive  you  all  into  hea- 
ven ;  so  that,  after  all,  you  expect  heaven  on  the  prin- 
ciple of  naked  justice^  and  that  without  justification, 
regeneration,  adoption,  or  sanctification ;  for  to  these 
blessings  you  make  no  pretensions,  and  probably  you 
consider  them  all  hypocrites  who  do.  Hence  you  are 
just  where  Saul  was  when  he  was  a  Pharisee  and  the 
son  of  a  Pharisee.  So  true  it  is  that  there  is  no  medium 
between  Pharisaism  and  the  doctrine  of  justification  by 
faith  alone;  for  the  dogma  of  justification  by  faith  and 
works  unitedly,  is  absurd,  contradictory  and  impos- 
sible. 

Pharisaism  embraces  an  almost  endless  variety  of 
character,  from  the  comparatively  amiable  man  pre- 
sented by  our  blessed  Lord  in  the  above  parable,  to  the 


146  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

infamous  Simon,  the  sorcerer,  who  thought  that  the 
gift  of  God  might  be  purchased  with  money  ;  together 
with  the  still  more  infamous  Tetzel,  who  peddled  "  in- 
dulgences," that  is,  taught  the  people  that  the  pardon 
of  sin  committed,  and  to  be  committed,  may  be  pur- 
chased with  money,  and  he,  claiming  to  be  the  sales- 
man, received  all  the  money  he  could  obtain  from  such 
as  were  foolish  enough  to  believe  him.  Thus  while  the 
ancient  Pharisees  offered  tithes  of  their  mint,  anise  and 
cummin,  Tetzel  was  shrewd  enough  to  claim  more 
valuable  considerations  for  so  rich  a  boon,  but  the 
principle  in  each  case  was  precisely  the  same.  The  fact 
is,  the  whole  system  of  Popery  is  neither  more  nor  less 
than  Pharisaism  carried  out  to  its  worst  consequences. 
Luther  commenced  to  reform  himself,  and  then  to  re- 
form Popery,  by  attempting  to  correct,  first  one  thing, 
and  then  another.  But  God  taught  him  that  neither 
himself  nor  the  Church  could  be  reformed  in  this  way. 
He  taught  him  what  was  not  only  a  shorter  way,  but  the 
only  way,  even  justification  by  faith ;  and  that  the  Bible 
is  the  only  rule,  and  the  all-sufificient  rule,  both  of  our 
faith  and  conduct.  These  two  principles,  when  faithfully 
applied,  and  as  far  as  applied,  destroy  Popery,  root  and 
branch.  Nor  can  any  system  of  error  be  destroyed  in 
any  other  way.  It  is  not  possible  to  effect  a  moral  re- 
formation in  any  other  way.  By  one  of  these  principles, 
the  great  upas-tree,  upon  which  grow  traditions,  and  all 
other  human  inventions,  is  cut  down  at  a  stroke;  while, 
by  the  other,  the  sinner  himself  is  slain,  his  mouth  is 
stopped,  so  that  he  can  no  longer  utter  the  language 
of  the  self-righteous  Pharisee ;  he  can  only  say,  and  he 
does  say,  "  Jesus,  thou  son  of  David,  have  mercy  upon 


SADDUCISM.  147 

nie;"  to  which  cry  he  soon  hears  the  glorious  response, 
'-Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  thou  shalt  be 
saved."  Being  assisted  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  whom  he 
asKs  and  receives  for  the  sake  of  Christ,  he  do^s  be- 
lieve, he  is  saved,  and  goes  on  his  way  rejoicing. 

The  fact  is,  salvation  by  works  always  was,  and  eter- 
nally will  be,  an  absolute  impossibility.  Some  people 
loosely  talk  about  unfallen  Adam,  and  unfallen  angels 
being  saved  by  works.  I  beg  to  say  that  the  word  so- 
tenon,  salvation,  can  never,  with  propriety,  be  applied 
^  to  any  unfallen  and  holy  being.  It  is  applicable  only 
to  fallen  beings  whose  recovery  is  still  possible 

Let  this  suffice  for  the  Pharisees.   We  will  now  turn 
to  the  Sadducees. 

SADDUCISM. 

As  there  is  no  medium  between  grace  and  merit,  it 
follows  that  those  who  depart  from  the  doctrine  of  ius- 
tification  by  grace  through  faith,  pass  to  Pharisaism  at 
t^ie  first  step,  though  they  may  not  be  aware  of  it 
-But  as  this  ground  is  not  tenable,  and  will  not  bear 
the  test  of  calm  reflection,  and  close  scrutiny,  especially 
when  moved  thereto  by  the  force  of  Gospel  truth  ap- 
plied by  the  Holy  Spirit,  those  who  occupy  it  become 
dissatisfied  and  unsettled,  and  if  they  do  not  return  to 
the  fundamental  principle  of  justification  by  faith  they 
pass  on  to  Sadducism  ;  that  is  they  become  skeptical  •   • 
111  other  words,  they  try  to  disbelieve  certain  funda- 
mental principles  of  the  Christian  system,  especially 
t.iose  which  trouble  them  most.     As  the  transition  from 
Pharisaism  to  Sadducism  is  so  easy,  and,  under  some 
circumstances,  inevitable,  we  find  these  two  classes  of 


148  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

character  in  close  proxiaiity,  and  sometimes  comming- 
ling together  in  the  same  churches  :  yea,  and  occupying 
the  same  pulpits  and  the  same  pews.  In  support  of 
these  views,  and  to  obtain  a  correct  knowledge  of  Sad- 
ducism,  we  will  now  glance  at  the  principles  and  char- 
acter of  the  ancient  Sadducees,  as  presented  in  the  New 
Testament. 

Matt.  iii.  7.  "  But  when  he  saw  many  of  the  Phari- 
sees and  Sadducees  come  to  his  baptism,  he  said  unto 
them,  O  generation  of  vipers,  who  hath  warned  you  to 
flee  from  the  wrath  to  come?  Bring  forth  therefore 
fruits  meet  for  repentance."  Mark  !  Here  we  find  them 
together,  and  both  classes  commingling  with  the  true 
seekers  and  worshippers.  Here  is  a  lesson  for  those 
who  are  engaged  in  religious  revivals ;  look  out  for  a 
union  of  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  on  such  occasions. 

And  mark  well  how  this  intrepid  and  faithful 
preacher  addressed  them.  His  keen  eye  discriminated, 
and  his  eloquent  lips  pronounce  truth  and  reproof 
equally,  appropriate.  Tliese  hypocritical  Pharisees 
and  Sadducees  are  denominated  a  "generation  of  vi- 
pers," and  are  threatened  with  "  wrath  to  come."  This 
is  just  what  the  Sadducee  did  not  believe,  and  what 
the  self-righteous  Pharisee  did  not  fear.  Hence  such 
preaching  is  the  most  appropriate  for  such  characters ; 
people  need  to  hear  what  they  do  not  believe,  more 
than  what  they  do,  but  a  coward  can  preach  the  latter, 
while  it  requires  a  hero  to  preach  the  former.  Matt, 
xvi.  1,  "The  Pharisees  also  with  the  Sadducees  came, 
and  tempting  desired  him  that  he  would  show  them  a 
sign  from  heaven."  Here  we  find  the  Pharisees  and  the 
Sadducees  again  together,  and  so  much  alike,  that  it 


SADDUCISM.  149 

would  be  difficult  to  distinguish  them  ;  they  are  alike 
unbelieving,  and  alike  hypocritical :  hence  Jesus  pro- 
nounces them  all  *'  hypocrites,"  and  ''  a  wicked  and 
adulterous  generation ; "  and  refusing  to  give  them  "  a 
sign,"  save  that  of  "  Jonas  the  prophet,"  "  he  left  them 
and  departed."  Then  to  his  disciples  he  said,  "  Take 
heed  and  beware  of  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees  and  of 
the  Sadducees."  At  the  12th  verse  this  "  leaven  "  is 
called  "  the  doctrine  of  the  Pharisees  and  of  the  Sad- 
ducees," thus  marking  the  oneness  of  the  two  parties, 
and  showing  that  they  were  both  poisoned  by  the  same 
leaven,  and  that  this  leaven  is  so  poisonous  that  the  dis- 
ciples had  need  to  "  beware  of  it."  And  the  disciples 
of  Jesus  still  need  to  beware  of  this  deadly  poison,  for 
just  as  soon  as  you  depart  from  the  doctrine  of  justifi- 
cation by  grace,  through  faith,  you  are  on  Pharisaic 
ground,  and  on  the  high  road  to  Sadducism,  and  abso- 
lutely destitute  of  the  peculiar  power.  Hence  the 
necessity  of  the  present  investigation.  But,  let  us  fol- 
low these  Sadducees  still  further  for  the  purpose  already 
specified. 

The  Pharisees,  Sadducees,  and  Herodians,  have  such 
an  affinity  for  each  other,  that  we  cannot  do  justice  to 
our  subject  or  obtain  a  full  and  clear  view  of  either 
class  by  confining  our  investigations  to  one  class  at  a 
time.  We  must  take  them  up  as  they  are  presented  in 
Scripture,  sometimes  separately,  and  sometimes  united- 
ly. In  Matt.  xxii.  we  find  all  the  three  classes  attack- 
ing Jesus,  sometimes  separately,  and  sometimes  united- 
ly. At  verse  15  we  read,  "  Then  went  the  Pharisees 
and  took  counsel  how  they  might  entangle  him  in  his 
talk.  And  they  sent  unto  him  their  disciples,  with 
13* 


150     POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

the  Herodians,  saying,  Master,  we  know  that  thou  art 
true,  and  teachest  the  way  of  God  in  truth,  neither 
carest  thou  for  any  man ;  for  thou  regardest  not  the 
person  of  men.  Tell  us  therefore,  what  thinkest  thou  ? 
Is  it  lawful  to  give  tribute  unto  Cesar  or  not  ?"  The 
wicked  and  hypocritical  Pharisees  having  consulted 
how  they  might  "entangle"  Jesus,  concluded  that  they 
would  succeed  better  in  political  than  in  theological 
questions,  and  knowing  that  the  Herodians  were  ex- 
pert in  such  matters,  they  called  them  to  their  assist- 
ance, and  promptly  did  the  Herodians  obey  the  call, 
and  with  an  ability  worthy  of  thorough  politicians, 
they  propounded  their  ensnaring  question.  "  But  Jesus 
perceiving  their  wickedness,  said,  why  tempt  ye  me, 
ye  hypocrites?"  Observing  with  what  wisdom  he 
foiled  them  in  their  wicked  purpose,  and  exposed  their 
hypocrisy,  "they  marvelled,  and  left  him,  and  went 
their  way."  They  simply  recognized  our  blessed  Lord 
as  being  too  shrewd  for  them,  in  this  instance,  hoping, 
doubtless,  to  outwit  him  at  some  future  time ;  for,  like 
most  politicians,  they  had  no  idea  of  anything  superior 
to  successful  political  strategy;  in  their  thinking  they 
never  rose  high  enough  to  embrace  a  purely  theological 
or  religious  idea;  all  their  questions  were  "highly 
political." 

Jesus  having  repulsed  the  first  and  third  divisions  of 
this  great  antichristian  army,  the  second  division  is  at 
once  advanced  into  line  of  battle,  hence  at  verse  28  we 
read,  "  The  same  day  came  to  him  the  Sadducees, 
which  say  there  is  no  resurrection,  and  asked  him  say- 
ing," &c.,  &c.  "  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  them, 
ye  do  err,  not  knowing  the  Scri^^tures,  nor  the  power 


SADDUCISM,  151 

of  God."  Having  exposed  their  ignorance,  and  the 
weakness  of  their  attempt  to  turn  Scripture  teaching 
into  ridicule,  he  no  longer  acts  on  the  defensive  merely, 
but  proceeds  to  refute  their  grand  principle,  viz: 
that  there  is  neither  angel,  spirit  nor  resurrection.  To 
this  end  he  quotes  from  Moses,  whom  they  profess  to 
believe,  and  who  represents  God  as  saying,  "  I  am  the 
God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God 
of  Jacob.  God  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the 
living."  The  Sadducees  were  now  silenced  and  routed. 
And  although  it  does  not  appear  that  they  were  bene- 
fitted at  all,  the  listening  multitude  were;  for  it  is  said 
"  when  the  multitudes  heard  this,  they  were  astonished 
at  his  doctrine."  "  But  when  the  Pharisees  heard  that 
he  had  put  the  Sadducees  to  silence,  they  were 
gathered  together.  Then  one  of  them,  a  lawyer, 
asked,  tempting  him,  and  saying,  which  is  the  great 
commandment  in  the  law?  Jesus  said  unto  him.  Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and 
with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  is  the 
first  and  great  commandment.  And  the  second  is 
like  unto  it,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself. 
On  these  two  commandments  hang  all  the  law  and  the 
prophets."  Having  answered  all  the  questions  and 
refuted  all  the  objections  of  his  three  grand  oppo- 
nents, the  Pharisee,  the  Sadducee,  and  the  Herod ian, 
Jesus  asked  the  former  a  question,  "Saying,  what  think 
ye  of  Christ  ?  Whose  son  is  he?  They  say  unto  him, 
the  son  of  David.  He  saith  unto  them.  How  then 
doth  David  in  spirit  call  him  Lord,  saying.  The  Lord 
said  unto  my  Lord,  sit  thou  on  my  right  hand,  till  I 
make  thine   enemies   thy  footstool  ?     If  David   then 


152      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

call  him  Lord,  how  is  he  his  son  ?  And  no  man  was 
able  to  answer  him  a  word,  neither  durst  any  man, 
from  that  day  forth,  ask  him  any  more  questions." 
Thus  did  Jesus  turn  to  flight,  in  one  day,  these  three 
grand  armies  of  the  aliens.  The  principles  defended  , 
and  established  by  our  blessed  Lord  and  by  his  fore- 
runner, John  the  Baptist,  and  rejected,  directly  or  im- 
pliedly, by  these  three  sects,  demand  the  most  serious 
attention.  We  will  simply  specify  them.  The  inspi- 
ration of  the  ScrijDtures ;  the  person,  character  and  ivork 
of  Christ ;  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  ;  the  nature  of 
true  religion;  the  existence  of  angels,  and  of  human 
spirits  after  death;  the  resurrection  of  the  human  body ; 
and  wrath  to  come.  Now,  let  it  be  distinctly  observed, 
that  these  are  the  doctrines  which  are  still  denied, 
directly  or  impliedly,  by  all  who  do  not  embrace  the 
doctrine  of  justification  by  faith ;  and  it  is  not  em- 
braced by  Sadducees,  Pharisees,  or  Herodians.  Other 
doctrines  they  may  deny,  but  these  are  specially 
objectionable  to  them.  The  Pharisees  may  not  directly 
deny  all  these  doctrines,  but  they  positively  deny  some 
of  them,  and  do  not  properly  believe  any  of  them.  At 
best  they  have  unbelief  enough  to  render  their  salva- 
tion impossible,  while  they  persist  in  it;  enough  to 
render  a  union  with  Sadducees  and  Herodians  easy 
here,  and  certain  hereafter.  Of  course,  under  certain 
circumstances  they  v.ill  fight  with  these  their  near 
neighbors,  but  under  others  they  will  readily  unite 
with  them,  as  all  history  shows;  though  all  these 
doctrines  are  denied  by  the  Sadducees.  And  as  for 
the  Herodians  they  are  so  earthly-minded  that  their 
thoughts  do  not  rise  high  enough,  even  to  enter  into  a 


SADDUCISM.  153 

controversy  about  them.  Moreover,  as  political  flat- 
terers and  office  seekers,  it  would  not  comport  with 
their  selfish  interests  to  assert  or  deny  any  of  them, 
unless  it  should  seem  that  by  doing  so  they  would  pro- 
mote their  political  interests  ;  for  all  their  movements 
are  "  highly  political !"  as  we  shall  show  in  due  time. 
Meantime,  let  us  dwell  a  little  longer  upon  the  char- 
acter and  doings  of  the  Sadducees.  In  Acts,  iv.  1-8, 
we  read,  "  And  as  they  spake  unto  the  people,  the 
priests,  and  the  captain  of  the  temple,  and  the  Saddu- 
cees came  upon  them,  being  grieved  that  they  taught 
the  people,  and  preached  through  Jesus  the  resurrection 
from  the  dead.  And  they  laid  hands  on  them,  and  put 
them  in  hold  unto  the  next  day ;  for  it  w^as  now  even- 
tide." Again,  the  Apostles  having  wrought  some  of 
the  most  wonderful  miracles,  in  consequence  of  which 
the  work  of  God  was  progressing  gloriously,  we  are 
told.  Chap,  v.,  17-20,  "  Then  the  high  priest  rose  up, 
and  all  they  that  were  with  him,  (which  is  the  sect  of 
the  Sadducees,)  and  were  filled  with  indignation,  and 
laid  their  hands  on  the  apostles,  and  put  them  in  the 
common  prison.  But  the  angel  of  the  Lord  by  night 
opened  the  prison  doors,  and  brought  them  forth,  and 
said,  "  Go  stand  and  speak  in  the  temple  to  the  people 
all  the  words  of  this  life."  But  neither  the  preaching 
nor  the  miracles  had  any  influence  upon  the  Sadducees, 
save  to  develop  their  hatred  of  the  holy  teachers,  and 
of  that  which  they  taught.  It  is  necessary  to  observe 
this  that  we  may  appreciate  the  truth  here  contended 
for,  and  dread  the  errors  here  opposed.  For  whoever 
rejects  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith,  is  on  the 
high  road  to  all  the  hopelessness  and  ruin  of  these  Phar- 


154  .         POWER   WITH   GOD    AND    WITH   MEN. 

isees  and  Sadducees !  Nor  will  anything  short  of  the 
principles  and  power  for  which  we  contend,  fortify  us 
against  the  soul-destroying  principles,  and  the  incessant 
and  deadily  opposition  of  Pharisees  and  Sadducees. 
The  voice  of  God  to  all  is,  "  Save  yourselves  from  this 
untoward  generation,"  for,  remember,  these  characters 
now,  as  of  old  time,  are  in  the  pulpits  and  pews  of  God's 
temple.  That  they  filled  the  highest  offices  in  the 
Jewish  Church  and  nation  is  quite  certain,  the  Saddu- 
cees as  well  as  the  Pharisees.  Indeed,  the  Sadducees 
seem  to  have  gained  the  ascendancy,  both  in  the  church 
and  nation.  Calmet,  in  his  Dictionary,  says,  "  They  held 
the  chief  offices  in  the  nation,  and  many  of  the  priests 
were  Sadducees."  Again,  he  says,  "  John  Hircanus, 
high  priest  of  the  nation,  separated  himself  in  a  signal 
manner  from  the  sect  of  the  Pharisees,  and  went  over 
to  that  of  the  Sadducees.  It  is  said,  also,  that  he 
strictly  commanded  all  Jews,  on  pain  of  death,  to  re- 
ceive the  maxims  of  this  sect.  Aristobulus  and  Alex- 
ander Jannaeus,  son  of  Hircanus,  continued  to  favor 
the  Sadducees,  and  Abraham  Vendior,  Cabbaly,  and 
Maimonides,  assure  us,  that  under  these  princes  they 
possessed  all  the  offices  of  the  Sanhedrim,  and  that 
there  remained  in  i  he  party  of  the  Pharisees,  only  Si- 
mon, son  of  Secre.  Caiphas,  who  condemned  our  Sa- 
viour, was  a  Sadducee,  as  was  Ananias  the  younger, 
who  put  to  death  James,  brother  of  our  Lord."  Learned 
men  are  very  much  perplexed  in  attempting  to  account 
for  this,  seeing  "  the  Sadducees  say  there  is  no  resurrec- 
tion, neither  angel  nor  spirit,  but  the  Pharisees  confess 
both."  Acts,  xxiii.  8.  They  are  at  a  loss  to  know  how 
they  could  profess  a  belief  in  the  Scriptures;  how  they 


SADDUCISM.  155 

could  hold  offices  in  the  church,  while  these  were  their 
sentiments.  They  also  find  it  difficult  to  account  for 
the  fact  that  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  commingled 
together  in  the  same  Church,  while  holding  such  oppo- 
site views.  And  conceiving  the  thing  to  be  impossible, 
some  learned  men  have  even  attempted  to  show  that 
the  Sadducees  did  not  hold  the  opinions  attributed  to 
them  in  the  Scriptures.  But  even  though  they  should 
succeed  in  this  attempt,  what  will  they  do  with  the 
fact  that  the  same  phenomena  exists  in  the  professedly 
Christian  church  at  the  present  day  ?  Are  there  not 
multitudes  of  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  in  tlie  Church 
of  England  ?  Yes,  verily,  so  much  so  that  the  Saddu- 
cees threaten  to  gain  the  ascendancy,  even  over  the 
Pharisees,  numerous  and  influential  as  they  are.  Nor 
is  it  much  better,  if  any,  in  a  large  projDortion  of  pro- 
fessedly protestant  Germany.  Has  not  rationalism,  or, 
more  properly  speaking,  Sadducism,  already  gained  the 
ascendancy?  And  as  for  the  Church  of  Rome,  it  would 
be  difficult  to  find  one  within  her  pale,  from  the  Pope 
down,  that  is  not  a  Sadducee  or  a  Pharisee.  And  as  to 
the  people  called  Adventists,  or  no-soulites,  they  un- 
blushingly  preach  the  very  same  tenets  attributed  to 
the  ancient  Sadducees.  The  Universalists  and  Sweden- 
borgians  occupy  about  the  same  ground,  together  with 
spiritualists,  and  a  whole  host  of  phrenological  and 
other  lecturers.  To  these  must  be  added  Deists,  Uni- 
tarians, and  all  the  various  tribes  of  Arians.  Nor  does 
the  evil  stop  here.  If  we  turn  to  what  are  called  or- 
thodox churches,  we  shall  find  multitudes  of  Pharisees, 
and  not  a  few  Sadducees ;  persons  who  do  not  believe 
that  there  is  a  hell  of  fire,  where  the  unsaved  shall  eter- 


l06  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

nally  suffer;  do  not  believe  in  the  existence  of  the  devil 
and  his  angels ;  do  not  believe  in  the  resurrection  of 
the  human  body,  any  more  than  did  the  ancient  Sad- 
ducees.  Yet  all  these  profess  to  believe  the  Scriptures, 
yea,  and  preach  too,  and  that  to  crowded  and  highly 
delighted  audiences.  These  are  all  Pharisees  or  Sad- 
ducees,  as  are  all  others  who  do  not  hold  the  doctrine 
of  salvation  by  grace  through  faith.  And  as  to  Phari- 
sees and  Sadducees  complacently  mingling  with  each 
other,  most  of  them  do  so  now  as  formerly,  when  they 
find  it  necessary  to  oppose  a  revival  of  genuine  religion. 
At  other  times  they  will  quarrel  as  formerly,  especially 
when  the  Pharisees  become  very  zealous  in  support  of 
their  traditions  and  ritualistic  nonsense,  for  a  Sadducee 
is  not  inclined  to  lay  much  stress  upon  any  religious 
opinions.  This  is  the  necessary  tendency  of  his  system 
of  unbelief.  Both  Sadducees  and  Pharisees,  however, 
dread  an  attack  from  a  genuine  gospel  minister,  and 
were  it  not  that  they  are  afraid  of  provoking  some  Lu- 
ther to  make  such  an  attack  upon  them,  they  would 
manifest  their  hatred  to  gospel  truth  and  gospel  Chris- 
tians more  than  they  do.  Indeed  it  has  become  a  part 
of  their  strategy  to  censure  with  great  severity  all  who 
attempt  to  expose  their  errors  ;  to  do  so  is  represented 
SiS  prima  facie  evidence  of  a  return  to  the  dark  days  of 
illiberality  and  bigotry.  And  they  are  not  a  few  who 
in  this  way  are  frighted  into  silence,  so  that  in  many 
places  Pharisaism  and  Sadducism  gain  the  ascendant, 
and  then  they  become  as  intolerant  as  in  the  days  of 
old.  But  no  reformer  or  faithful  minister  ever  re- 
mained silent  with  regard  to  the  religious  errors  of  his 
times.  Every  faithful  minister  understands  the  follow- 


SADDUCISM.  157 

ing  words  and  acts  accordingly,  "  Every  plant  which 
my  heavenly  father  hath  not  planted,  shall  be  rooted 
up."  He  knows  that  the  plants  of  truth  and  grace 
cannot  grow  where  such  plants  are  permitted  to  grow. 
Hence,  like  his  Master,  he  proceeds  to  root  them  up,  by 
showing  that  they  are  poisonous  plants,  and  that  *'  the 
enemy  that  sowed  them  is  the  devil."  And  all  who 
engage  in  this  work  of  rooting  up,  will  surely  bring 
upon  themselves  the  wrath  of  Pharisees  and  Sadducees, 
and  they  will  as  surely  be  annoyed  by  weak  disciples, 
who  will  say  to  them,  as  certain  disciples  said  to  Jesus, 
"  Knowest  thou  that  the  Pharisees  were  offended  after 
they  heard  this  saying?"  but  let  all  such  faithful 
men  reply  in  the  Avords  of  their  Master,  and  steadily 
proceed  with  their  work  of  rooting  up ;  it  will  pay  in 
the  end  ;  yea,  and  bring  peace  too. 

The  reason  why  Pharisaism  tends  to  Sadducism, 
and  why  there  is  an  affinity  between  those  two  sects, 
may,  I  think,  be  easily  accounted  for  in  this  way. 
Phai-isaism  commences  by  substituting  human  opinion 
or  invention  for  Divine  revelation.  This  leads  to  the 
substitution  of  human  merit  for  that  of  the  atonement, 
to  salvation  by  works,  instead  of  salvation  by  grace 
through  faith.  This  view  is  fully  supported  by  the 
word  of  God,  and  by  matter  of  fact.  An  appeal  to 
matter  of  fact  will  show  that  this  is  precisely  the  way 
in  which  Pharisaism  has  been  propagated,  and  the 
word  of  God  is  distinct  and  unmistakable  on  the  sub- 
ject. Hear  w^hat  Jesus  said  to  the  Pharisees  of  his 
day,  when  the  Pharisees  were  bold  enough  to  reprove 
Jesus  and  his  disciples  for  not  adhering  to  their  tradi- 
tions, saying,  "Why  do  thy  disciples  transgress  the 
14 


158     POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

tradition  of  the  elders  ?  for  they  wash  not  their  hands 
when  they  eat  bread ;"  Jesus  "  answered  and  said  unto 
them,  why  do  ye  also  transgress  the  commandment  of 
God  by  your  tradition  ?"  Observe,  tradition  and  trans- 
gression, go  together,  and  are  inseparable !  After  speci- 
fying some  of  the  commandments  which  were  trans- 
gressed in  this  way,  our  blessed  Lord  adds,  "  thus  have 
ye  made  the  commandment  of  God  of  none  effect  by 
your  tradition."  Now,  when  human  invention,  human 
merit,  and  authority,  are  thus  substituted  for  Divine 
teaching,  Divine  grace,  and  Divine  authority,  the  cable 
is  slipped,  and  the  bark  is  afloat,  without  compass,  rud- 
der, or  commander,  and  without  special  Divine  inter- 
position, will  surely  be  lost.  It  is  not  possible  for  a 
thinking  man  to  rest  in  Pharisaism  ;  a  careful  exam- 
ination of  Pharisaic  principles  will  drive  him  back  to 
orthodoxy,  or  forward  to  Sadducism.  It  is  not  possible 
for  any  thinking  man  to  believe  that  Pharisaic  right- 
eousness will  merit  heaven,  or  qualify  for  it ;  nor  is  it 
possible  for  such  to  believe  that  a  holy  and  just  God 
will  send  'him  to  a  hell  of  quenchless  fire  merely  be- 
cause he  is  not  a  Pharisee.  Hence,  I  repeat,  when 
Pharisees  think,  they  will  either  fall  back  upon  Bible 
truth,  or  go  on  to  Sadducism,  and  thence,  it  may  be,  to 
down-right  Atheism.  But,  only  let  a  man  see,  from 
God's  own  word,  that  God  is  good  to  all,  that  Jesus 
died  for  all,  that  there  is  salvation  in  no  other,  that 
this  salvation,  consequently,  is  by  grace  through  faith, 
the  gift  of  a  merciful  God  through  the  atonement  of 
Christ,  that  by  the  deeds  of  the  law  no  flesh  living  shall 
be  justified,  that  in  this  way  God  is  just,  while  he  justi- 
fies the  ungodly  that  believe  in  Jesus ;  that  being  thus 


HERODIANISM.  159 

justified  he  has  peace  with  God  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  rejoices  in  hope  of  the.  glory  of  God. 
Let  him  see  that  there  is  no  other  way  in  which  fallen 
man  can  be  saved,  that  is,  made  holy  and  happy,  and 
finally  glorified,  and  that,  consequently,  if  he  rejects 
this  gracious  oflTer  of  salvation,  for  he  cannot  be  forced, 
"  there  remaiueth,  therefore,  no  more  sacrifice  for  sin,  but 
a  certain  fearful  looking  for  of  judgment  and  fiery  in- 
dignation, which  shall  devour  the  adversaries."  Let 
him  see  all  this,  I  say,  from  God's  own  word,  and  instead 
of  flying  from  Pharisaism  to  what  is  no  better,  Saddu- 
cism,  he  will  fly  to  Jesus,  and  find  redemption  in  his 
blood.  And  instead  of  being  a  self-righteous  Pharisee, 
or  a  cavilling  Sadducee,  he  will  be  a  happy  Christian, 
preaching  the  faith  he  once  destroyed,  and  counting  all 
things  but  loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  Jesus  his  Lord,  for  whom  he  is  now  willing  to 
suffer  the  loss  of  all  things,  and  count  them  but  dung 
that  he  may  win  Christ. 

Pharisaism  is  the  source  of,  and  leads  to,  all  error; 
and  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  strikes  at  the 
root  of,  and  is  the  only  sure  cure  for  all  error,  and  all 
evil.  "  This  is  the  victory  that  overcometh  the  world, 
even  our  faith." 

THE    HERODIANS. 

In  the  New  Testament  this  sect  is  presented  to  our  no- 
tice in  connection  with  the  Pharisees  and  the  Sadducees. 
And  though  they  appear  as  a  distinct  sect,  they  are, 
nevertheless,  strangely  connected  with  the  other  sects, 
and  seem  to  be  an  integral  part  both  of  the  Church  and 
Nation  of  the  Jews.    They  seem  to  be  the  most  undefin- 


IGO      POWEK  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

able  beings  that  are  presented  to  our  notice  either  in 
sacred  or  profane  history.  Hence  commentators  and 
others  are  puzzled  in  their  attempts  to  define  the  char- 
acter and  fix  the  position  of  this  anomalous  sect.  We 
think,  however,  that  a  somewhat  definite  and  satisfac- 
tory judgment  may  be  reached  with  regard  to  them; 
and  as  we  believe  them  to  be  one  of  the  representative 
classes  of  exceptional  character,  we  will  make  the  at- 
tempt. And  to  this  end  we  will  now  give  a  brief  ex- 
hibit of  what  sacred  and  other  writers  say  concerning 
them. 

The  first  place  we  meet  with  them  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment is  in  Matt.  xxii.  And  here  we  find  them  united 
with  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  in  an  attempt  to  "en- 
tangle" our  blessed  Lord.  To  this  end  they  propose 
in  a  very  subtile  manner  this  political  question :  "  Is  it 
lawful  to  give  tribute  unto  Caesar,  or  not  ?"  But  "  Je- 
sus perceived  their  wickedness,  and  said,  Why  tempt 
ye  me,  ye  hypocrites?"  How  our  blessed  Lord  exposed, 
confounded,  and  caused  them  to  retire  in  confusion,  is 
well  known.  In  Mark  xii.  13,  we  have  the  same  or  a 
similar  record  of  these  Herodians.  In  his  third  chap- 
ter, also,  this  Evangelist  gives  us  the  following,  at  verse 
6.  "And  the  Pharisees  went  forth,  and  straightway 
took  counsel  with  the  Herodians  against  him,  how  they 
might  destroy  him." 

By  these  inspired  records  the  following  particulars 
are  clearly  established.  First,  the  Herodians  were 
"wicked,"  and  they  were  "hypocritical,"  so  wicked  that 
they  were  always  ready  to  "  entangle  "  and  "  destroy  " 
"  the  Lord  of  life  and  glory ;"  so  hypocritical,  that 
while  this  was  their  object,  they  pretended  to  act  for 


HERODIANISM.  161 

the  good  of  the  Church  and  State.  Second,  when  the 
Pharisees  would  accomplish  their  worst  purposes 
against  Jesus,  they  consulted  and  employed  the  wicked 
and  hypocritical  Herodians,  who,  to  accomplish  their 
own  wicked  and  selfish  ends,  were  always  ready  to 
offer  their  service.  Hence,  third,  while  they  maintain 
a  kind  of  distinct  organization,  we,  nevertheless,  find 
them  connected  with  Church  and  State  parties, 
whether  Pharisees  or  Sadducees.  But,  fourth,  although 
they  were  ready  to  unite  with,  or  be  employed  by 
any  party,  if  they  thought  their  selfish  ends  would 
thereby  be  promoted,  they  were,  nevertheless,  strangely 
non-committal.  They  were  not  religious  enough  to 
profess  Pharisaism,  nor  honest  enough  to  profess  Sad- 
ducism ;  because,  fifth,  all  their  movements  were 
"  highly  political."  Hence,  they  were  ready  to  sell 
themselves  to  any  party  or  to  perpetrate  any  crime,  if 
thereby  they  might  promote  their  political  and  selfish 
purposes.  The  object  of  their  worship  was  the  reigning 
prince,  whether  Herod,  Caligula,  or  Csesar.  His  dictum 
was  with  them  "  the  higher  law."  To  afford  additional 
proof  of  all  that  we  have  here  said,  we  may  now  glance  at 
what  has  been  said  of  these  bad  men  by  uninspired 
writers. 

In  Colmet's  Dictionary,  under  the  article  Herodians, 
we  have  the  following. — "Dr.  Prideaux  judges  that 
their  doctrines  were  reducible  to  two  heads :  1.  a 
belief  that  the  dominion  of  the  Romans  over  the  Jews 
was  just,  and  that  it  was  their  duty  to  submit  to  it ;  2. 
that  in  the  present  circumstances  they  might  with  a 
good  conscience  follow  many  heathen  modes  and 
usages.  It  is  certain  these  were  Herod's  principles, 
14* 


162     POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

who  pleaded  the  necessity  of  the  times,  for  doing  many 
things  contrary  to  the  maxims  of  the  Jewish  religion." 
Dr.  Adam  Clark,  when  speaking  of  Herod  and  the 
Herodians,  in  His  comment  on  Matt,  xvi.,  says,  "  He 
built  temples,  set  up  images,  and  joined  in  heathen 
worship,  though  he  professed  the  Jewish  religion  ;  and 
this  was  in  opposition  to  all  the  law  and  the  prophets. 
From  this  we  may  learn  that  the  Herodians  were  such 
as,  first,  held  it  lawful  to  transfer  the  divine  govern- 
ment to  a  heathen  ruler ;  and  secondly,  to  conform 
occasionally,  to  heathenish  rites  in  their  religious 
worship.  In  short,  they  appear  to  have  bc^n  persons 
who.  trimmed  between  God  and  the  world — who  en- 
deavored to  reconcile  his  service  with  that  of  mammon 
— and  who  were  religious  just  as  far  as  it  tended  to 
secure  their  secular  interests.  It  is  probable  that 
this  sect  was  at  last  so  blended  with,  that  it  became 
lost  in,  the  sect  of  the  Sadducees ;  for  the  persons  who 
are  called  Herodians,  Mark  viii.  15,  are  styled  Saddu- 
cees in  verse  6  of  this  chapter." 

In  support  of  these  inspired  and  uninspired  sketches 
of  Herodian  character,  we  might  quote  Joseph  us  and 
other  writers,  but  we  judge  it  unnecessary  ;  the  deline- 
ation of  character  being  already  sufficiently  clear  and 
full,  and  sufficiently  authenticated.  We  will  now  group 
together  the  more  striking  features  of  their  charac- 
ter, that  the  whole  may  be  seen  at  a  glance ;  then  we 
shall  be  prepared  for  the  application. 

They  were  so  carnal  and  selfish  that  their  sole  object 
of  pursuit  was  their  own  temporal  interest.  Hence, 
to  this  end,  they  were  ready  to  lay  anything  and  every- 
thing, under  contribution,  whether  sacred  or  profane. 


HERODIANISM.  163 

It  Is  this  fact  that  rendered  their  character  so  undefin- 
able,  especially  when  viewed  at  a  distance.  But  the 
more  prominent  actors  in  this  class  of  character, 
having  turned  their  attention,  more  especially  to  poli- 
tics, their  more  distinguishing  characteristic  was  that 
of  the  office-seeking  politicians.  Hence,  most  of  their 
movements  were  "  highly  political,"  they  were,  as  Dr. 
Doddredge  observes,  •"  complaisant  courtiers."  The 
object  of  their  worship  was  the  reigning  prince,  whether 
Jew  or  Gentile  it  mattered  not;  his  views  were  theirs  ; 
and  with  him  they  were  ready  to  "  swing  round  the 
entire  circle  "  at  any  time  ;  whether  the  circle  com- 
prehended Judaism  or  heathenism.  For  the  same 
reason  they  were  ready  to  flatter,  or  unite  with  any 
parly,  whether  Pharisees,  Sadducees,  Essenes — or  even 
Fenians,  if  such  creatures  then  existed.  For  the  same 
reason,  "they  held  it  lawful,"  as  Dr.  Clark  observes, 
"to  transfer  the  divine  government  to  a  heathen 
ruler,"  whose  ipse  dixity  in  their  view,  was  "  the  higher 
law."  Hence,  as  the  doctor  further  observes,  "  they 
were  religious  just  as  far  as  it  tended  to  promote  their 
secular  interest."  It  follows,  that  they  were  just  what 
the  unerring  Judge  says  they  were,  wicked  hypo- 
crites. Finally,  the  affinity,  if  not  the  oneness,  of 
Pharisaism,  Sadducism,  and  Herodianism,  is  such,  that 
our  blessed  Lord  comprehends  the  whole  in  the  same 
term  and  in  the  same  warning — "  And  he  charged 
them  saying.  Take  heed,  beware  of  the  leaven  of  the 
Pharisees,  and  the  leaven  of  Herod."  IvLark  viii.  15. 
This  selfish  and  hypocritical  leaven  corrupts  and 
assimilates  all  in  whom  it  finds  a  lodgment ;  therefore 
"  Take  heed,"  says  Jesus,  "  beware  of  the  leaven  of  the 


164  POWER    WITH    GOD    AND    WITH    MEN. 

Pharisees  and  of  the  Herodians."  Pharisees,  Suddu- 
cees,  and  Herodians  are  so  numerous  and  so  deceitful, 
and  their  leaven  has  such  an  affinity  to  fallen 
humanity,  that  even  the  disciples  of  Jesus  are  in 
danger  of  being  infected  by  this  terrible  plague.  Hence 
Jesus  addresses  this  warning  to  his  disciples,  his  imme- 
diate followers.  O  how  much  danger  there  is  of  "  hav- 
ing men's  persons  in  admiration  because  of  advantage." 
None  are  free  from  this  leaveri,  this  viriis,  but  those  who 
have  a  pure  heart,  a  single  eye.  And  none  have  this 
but  those  who  are  "justified  by  faith,"  "born  of  the 
Spirit,"  "  created  anew  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works, 
which  God  hath  before  ordained  that  we  should  walk 
in  them."  These  only  have  the  mind  that  was  in  Je- 
sus ;  the  mind  of  him  who  "  went  about  doing  good ; " 
who,  "  though  he  was  rich,  for  our  sakes  became  poor, 
that  we  through  his  poverty  might  be  rich."  None 
but  these  know  that  great  truth  and  practice  it — "  It 
is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive."  All  others 
are  carnal  and  selfish — are  Pharisees,  Sadducees,  or 
Herodians.  For  if  they  give  anything,  they  give  it  to 
purchase  the  favor  of  God  or  the  favor  of  Herod.  And 
if  they  give  nothing,  it  is  because  they  are  Sadducees, 
and  "  neither  fear  God  nor  regard  man."  And  as  all 
are  Pharisees,  Sadducees,  or  Herodians,  who  are  not 
justified  by  faith,  it  follows  that  none  but  those  who 
are  justified  by  faith  have  the  peculiar,  the  moral  power, 
of  which  we  have  been  writing.  Pharisees,  Sadducees 
and  Herodians,  are  alike  destitute  of  moral  power. 
They  are  not  "  vessels  of  honor,  sanctified  and  meet  for 
the  master's  use."  They  have  not  a  pure  heart,  a 
single  eye ;  they  are  carnal  and  selfish :  and  no  power 


HERODIANISM.  165 

in  tlie  universe  can  make  them  otherwise,  but  the 
power  that  regenerates,  that  creates  anew  in  Christ 
Jesus.  And,  observe,  it  is  only  the  penitent,  believing 
soul  that  is  thus  renewed !  None  are  regenerated, 
sanctified,  and  constitute  the  temple  of  God  but  those 
who  are  justified  ;  and  none  are  justified  but  those  who 
believe — "  For  by  grace  are  ye  saved,  through  faith  ; 
and  that  not  of  yourselves ;  it  is  the  gift  of  God  ;  not 
of  works,  lest  any  man  should  boast."  Thus  again  our 
principle  is  established. 

Those  who  will  carefully  examine  the  character  of 
the  ancient  Herodians,  as  above  delineated,  will  not 
need  to  be  told  that  this  class  of  character  still  is,  and 
ever  has  been  very  numerous.  O  how  many  are  there 
who  adopt,  vary,  modify,  and  change,  both  their  politi- 
cal and  religious  principles,  just  as  their  temporal  in- 
terests may  seem  to  demand  :  and  all  such  are  Herodi- 
ans, if  not  Sadducees  also ;  for  the  transition  from  one 
of  these  classes  to  the  other,  is  so  easy,  that  it  is  con- 
stantly going  on :  and  Pharisaism  is  the  great  depot  from 
which  both  these  classes  receive  their  supplies,  while 
Pharisaism  itself  is  the  first-born  sou  of  fallen  Adam! 
Now,  I  must  repeat,  once  more,  the  doctrine  of  justifi- 
cation by  faith,  and  that  alone,  is  the  grand  remedy  for 
all  these  deadly  errors :  there  is  not  another !  No 
preaching  that  does  not  clearly  develop  and  faithfully 
apply  this  great  doctrine,  this  fundamental  principle, 
will  ever  raise  the  people  above  mere  heathen  morali- 
ty. All  other  preaching  is  a  mere  daubing  w^ith  un- 
tempered  mortar :  it  may  cleanse  the  outside  of  the 
cup  and  platter ;  it  may  whitewash  the  sepulchre  ;  but 
it  leaves  untouched  the  corruption  within.   Where  this 


166  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

doctrine  is  not  preached,  the  doctrine  of  the  full,  the 
doctrine  of  man's  total  depravity  and  utter  helpless- 
ness, is  not  preached.  Where  this  doctrine  is  not 
preached,  Pharisaism,  Sadducism,  Herodianism,  Arian- 
ism,  Socinianism,  Unitarianism,  Universalism,  Advent- 
ism,  Spiritualism,  Swedenborgianism,  Antinomianism, 
Nestorianism,  Sabellianism,  Eutychianism,  Pelagian- 
ism,  Manichianism,  Fatalism,  Materialism,  Mysticism, 
Fanaticism,  Stoicism,  and  every  other  pernicious  ism, 
may  be  expected  to  abound,  just  as  circumstances,  and 
the  whims  and  ignorance  of  men  may  suggest.  And 
the  preacher  that  is  not  in  favor  of  these  mns,  but  does 
not  preach  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith,  may 
declaim  against  them  all,  with  the  eloquence  of  a  De- 
mosthenes, the  philosophy  of  a  Plato,  and  the  logical 
acumen  of  an  Aristotle,  but  he  will  not  prevail.  Yea, 
Pharisaism,  which  is  the  source  of  all  the  isms,  will 
grow  and  prevail  right  in  his  church,  and  Pharisees 
will  sit  undisturbed  around  his  desk,  regardless  of  all 
he  can  say ;  unless  he  clearly  and  faithfully  develops 
and  applies  the  great  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith 
alone!  He  is  a  j^ower,  and  he  only,  ivho  enjoys  and 
preaches  Salvation  by  faith.  The  Scriptures  which 
we  have  quoted,  the  historic  facts  which  we  have  ad- 
duced, and  the  Christian  experience  to  which  we  have 
appealed,  all  go  to  establish  this  great  truth.  No  man 
can  point  to  a  single  moral  reform  that  did  not  result 
from  the  preaching  of  this  doctrine.  No  man  can  point 
to  a  living  church  at  this  day,  in  which  this  doctrine 
is  not  preached.  Nor  do  I  hesitate  to  say,  that  a  care- 
ful investigation  will  discover  the  fact  that  every 
church  is  alive  or  dead,  just  in  proportion  as  this  doc- 


HERODIANISM.  167 

trine  is,  or  is  not,  clearly  and  faithfully  preached.  Nor 
can  you  find  under  the  whole  heaven,  a  man  or  church 
possessing  moral  power,  only  in  so  far  as  that  man  or 
church  has  experienced,  and  still  holds  and  propa- 
gates, the  glorious  doctrine  of  salvation  by  grace 
THROUGH  FAITH.  With  this  doctriue  the  whole  Chris- 
tian system  stands  or  falls.  Reject  this  doctrine  and 
you  cannot  consistently  hold  any  other  doctrine  in  the 
system.  Hold  this  doctrine,  and  to  be  consistent,  you 
must  hold  every  other  doctrine  of  the  Christian  system. 
Were  it  necessary,  I  should  not  find  it  a  difficult  task 
to  produce  arguments  which  would  establish  these  pro- 
positions with  all  the  certainty  of  demonstration ;  for 
these  propositions  are  as  susceptible  of  proof  as  are  any 
propositions.  If  man  is  what  the  Bible  says  he  is, 
none  but  God  can  save  him.  And  if  Jesus  is  the  Sa- 
viour, the  only  Saviour  of  man,  he  must  be  God  ;  and 
if  this  Salvation  be  not  of  works,  it  must  be  of  grace ; 
and  if  it  is  conditional,  that  condition  must  be  faith  ; 
for  as  merit  and  works  go  together,  so  do  grace  and 
faith.  Thus  it  is  that  all  the  parts  of  this  wonderful 
and  glorious  system  are  connected ;  each  one  following 
the  other  as  necessarily  as  efl?ect  follows  cause,  or  as  a 
consequent  follows  a  given  proposition.  Take  a  single 
instance.  If  Jesus  is  David's  God  and  David's  son, 
then  he  must  be  both  God  and  man:  admit  the  former, 
and  you  must  admit  the  latter.  Let  this  suffice  as  an 
illustration  and  proof  of  what  we  claim. 

Having  discovered  the  conditions  of  moral  power, 
specifying  the  principles  with  which  this  power  is  in- 
separably connected ;  and  having  shown  that  they  are 
Pharisees,  Sadducees,  or  Herodians,  who  do  not  possess 


168  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

the  power  and  principles  specified :  and  having  es- 
tablished our  position,  as  we  believe,  by  Scripture, 
experience,  and  the  facts  of  history,  it  only  remains 
that  we  call  attention  to  a  certain  evil,  and  point  out 
that  which  is  at  once  the  preventive  and  the  remedy. 

The  evil  to  which  we  refer  is  this :  both  individuals 
and  churches  who  once  possessed  the  power  have  lost 
it.  This  also  is  abundantly  established  by  Scripture, 
history  and  experience.  The  primitive  Christian 
Churches  had  the  power,  but  it  was  not  long  before 
many  of  them,  like  that  at  Laodicea,  lost  it ;  and  though 
they  had  the  name  to  live,  they  were  dead.  For  a 
time  they  retained  "  the  form  of  Godliness,"  but  it  was 
not  long  till  they  even  denied  the  power.  And  having 
returned  to  Pharisaism,  Sadducism  and  Herodianism 
came  in  like  a  flood,  and  produced  their  legitimate  fruits. 
Finally  all  the  churches  in  the  East  became  dead,  cor- 
rupt, and  corrupting  masses ;  while  Pharisaism,  Sad- 
ducism, and  Herodianism  concentrated  in  the  West, 
crushed  out  Christianity,  and  formed  that  horrible 
thing  called  Popery. 

Turn  to  the  Keformation  of  the  sixteenth  century. 
For  a  time  the  power  was  retained  to  a  greater  or  less 
extent  by  the  Protestant  Churches  on  the  continent  of 
Europe;  but  they,  too,  soon  lost  the  power,  and,  to 
an  alarming  extent,  returned  to  Pharisaism.  And, 
again,  Sadducism  and  Herodianism  made  their  ap- 
pearance under  new  names,  but  essentially  the  same, 
as  we  have  already  shown.  In  England  and  Scotland, 
the  same  or  a  similar  loss  of  life  and  power  was  expe- 
rienced, a^d  the  same  return  to  Pharisaism,  followed 
by  the  same  tendency  to  Sadducean  unbelief,  and  He- 


SUMMING   UP.  169 

rodian  carnal  policy;  accompanied,  of  course,  by  a 
corresponding  amount  of  hypocrisy.  Then  God  in 
mercy  visited  those  churches  with  what  is  called  the 
Wesleyan  reformation,  in  the  way  which  we  have  al- 
ready described.  As  to  how  much  of  the  primitive 
power  of  this  last  revival  still  remains,  we  do  not  take 
upon  us  to  say ;  our  present  undertaking  does  not  seem 
to  require  that  we  should  take  up  this  topic.  It  may 
be  enough  to  say  that  while  we  all  have  abundance  of 
cause  to  be  ashamed,  and  to  repent  of  our  unfaithful- 
ness to  our  God,  and  to  the  glorious  dispensation  of  the 
Gospel  committed  to  us,  we  have,  at  the  same  time, 
much  cause  to  be  thankful  that  so  much  of  the  primi- 
tive power  still  remains  with  us.  But  that  we  may  not 
lose,  either  in  whole  or  in  part,  the  glorious  power  which 
our  fathers  had,  and  which  they  bequeathed  to  us,  let 
us  guard  against  those  errors  which  have  led  to  its  loss 
in  other  churches,  and  this  leads  us  to  point  out  what 
is  at  once  the  preventive  and  the  remedy. 

Indeed  we  have  done  this  already,  if  we  are  correct 
in  what  we  have  specified  as  the  conditions  of  moral 
power.  But  that  the  whole  may  be  seen  at  a  glance, 
we  will  repeat  in  this  connection,  that  the  whole  of 
genuine  religion  may  be  expressed  in  three  terms,  viz : 
Doctrine,  Experience,  and  Practice.  The  first 
saves  us  from  Latitudinarianism,  Sadducism,  and  Scep- 
ticism of  every  kind :  the  second  saves  us  from  Phari- 
saism ;  and  the  third  saves  us  from  Herodianism,  or 
Antinomianism ;  in  a  word,  it  regulates  the  life,  and 
makes  us  do  as  well  as  say,  sweeping  away  all  hypocrisy. 
Without  the  doctrine  there  cannot  be  the  experience, 
for  it  is  by  grace  we  are  saved  through  faith ;  and  with- 
15 


170      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

out  the  experience  there  cannot  be  the  practice,  for  an 
unholy  nature  cannot  produce  a  holy  life  ;  and  we  can- 
not have  a  holy  nature  without  regeneration  and 
sanctification  ;  and  we  cannot  have  the  latter  without 
justification ;  and  we  cannot  have  justification  without 
faith ;  and  we  cannot  have  faith  without  doctrine ;  for 
"  faith  Cometh  by  hearing  the  word  of  God,"  especially 
this  word,  "  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  thou 
shalt  be  saved ; "  and  this  implies  a  knowledge  of  the 
condemnation,  corruption,  and  helplessness  which  ren- 
ders salvation  necessary;  and  this  again  implies  a 
knowledge  of  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  salvation  need- 
ed ;  and  all  these  unite  to  sweep  away  Pharisaism,  root 
and  branch,  impressing  upon  the  inmost  soul  the  convic- 
tion, that  it  is  by  grace  we  are  saved  through  faith,  and  that 
not  of  ourselves ;  it  is  the  gift  of  God.  Thus  every  pro- 
cess of  just  reasoning  leads  to  precisely  the  same 
conclusion,  showing  most  conclusively,  that  faith  and 
the  doctrines  essential  thereto,  lie  at  the  very  founda- 
tion ;  and  are  essential  to  the  very  existence  of  Christian 
experience  and  Christian  practice.  It  follows  that, 
whether  we  would  obtain,  restore,  or  retain,  the  life  and 
power  of  Christianity,  we  must  embrace  and  hold  the 
doctrines ;  especially  the  doctrine  of  the  fall ;  that  of 
the  atonement,  justification  by  faith,  regeneration  by 
the  Spirit,  the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  and  entire  holiness 
through  the  all-cleansing  blood  of  Jesus,  by  faith  alone. 
And  all  these  must  be  applied  and  enforced  by  the  aw- 
ful truth,  that  whoever  is  not  thus  saved  must  be 
damned.  Let  these  doctrines  go,  and  a  return  to  Phari- 
saism and  death  is  inevitable,  and  all  the  other  errors 
will  follow  from  time  to  time.     But  how  is  all  this  to 


SUMMING   UP.  171 

be  prevented  ?  I  answer,  first — Keep  a  strict  watch  at 
the  entrance  of  tlie  pulpit,  and  allow  none  to  enter  that 
holy  and  exalted  place  but  such  as  hold  and  can  preach 
the  Christian  doctrines,  and  have  the  experience  and 
the  practice,  which  are  at  once  the  evidence  and  the 
fruits  thereof.  Second,  Keep  a  strict  watch  at  the  door 
of  the  church,  and  let  doctrine,  experience  and  practice 
be  tlie  test  of  membership.  This  will  do  away  with  the 
low  and  pernicious  ideas  which  are  so  generally  enter- 
tained with  regard  to  the  Christian  Ministry,  and  the 
fellowship  of  the  saints.  Then  shall  be  fulfilled  that 
Scripture — "  For  the  Lord  hath  chosen  Zion :  he  hath 
desired  it  for  his  habitation.  This  is  my  rest  forever : 
here  will  I  dwell :  for  I  have  desired  it.  'I  will  abun- 
dantly bless  her  provisions :  I  will  satisfy  her  poor  with 
bread.  I  will  also  clothe  her  priests  with  salvation, 
and  her  saints  shall  shout  aloud  for  joy."  To  be  a  min- 
ister or  a  member  of  such  a  church  means  something. 
The  clothing  here  spoken  of  is  very  different  from  the 
ritualistic  trumpery  for  which  some  priests  contend  so 
earnestly. 

Seeing  the  Christian  doctrines  are  so  essential  to  the 
life,  power,  and  prosperity  of  the  Chtirch,  and  even  to 
the  very  existence  of  Christian  experience  and  prac- 
tice, we  think  it  is  matter  for  regret  that  the  summary 
statement  of  our  doctrines,  as  given  in  our  Discipline,  is 
not  more  complete  than  it  is.  True,  all  our  doctrines 
may  be  found  in  our  standard  works,  and  in  the  works 
included  in  the  Course  of  Study  for  the  Ministry.  But 
we  humbly  submit  whether  this  is  sufficient.  If  a  min- 
ister in  our  church  should  reject  the  doctrines  not  speci- 
fied in  that  summary,  and  preach   accordingly,  how 


172     POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

would  the  church  act  in  that  case  ?  If  such  a  minister 
were  brought  to  trial,  as  he  certainly  should  be,  would 
he  be  tried  by  all  our  standard  works,  or  by  the  sum- 
mary of  doctrines  found  in  the  Discipline?  If  by  the 
former,  who  shall  decide  as  to  what  are  our  standard 
works?  And  if  by  the  latter,  how  could  you  condemn 
him  for  not  holding  and  preaching  doctrines  that  are 
not  contained  in  what  is  given  as  the  summary  of  our 
doctrines  ? 

I  know  it  has  been  said  that  we  depend,  or  have  de- 
pended principally,  upon  the  piety  of  the  church  for 
the  preservation  of  her  doctrines.  If  by  piety  is  meant 
Christian  experience  and  practice,  then  this  theory  re- 
presents the  cause  as  depending  upon  the  effect  for  its 
own  existence,  which  is  absurd  and  impossible.  I  ad- 
mit that  doctrine,  experience,  and  practice,  when  they 
exist  together,  mutually  support  each  other ;  but  this 
is  entirely  consistent  with  our  position,  viz :  that  the 
doctrine  is  essentially  necessary  both  to  the  existence 
and  continuance  of  experience  and  practice.  Take 
away  the  doctrine  and  there  is  nothing  left;  if  the 
house  was  already  built  it  falls  when  you  take  away 
the  foundation ;  and  if  it  was  not,  there  is  nothing  upon 
which  to  build  if  you  take  away  the  foundation.  Now 
the  foundation  of  which  we  speak  is  said  to  be  "  the 
apostles  and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself  beiug  the 
chief  corner  stone  ;"  and  you  take  away  this  founda- 
tion when  you  take  away  the  doctrines.  The  church 
must  live  so  long  as  she  properly  holds  the  doctrines, 
especially  those  which  we  have  specified.  If  the  doc- 
trine of  salvation  by  faith  properly  embraced  gives  life, 
the  same  doctrine  held  fast  must  continue  that  life. 


SUMMING   UP.  173 

No  church  or  individual  ever  fell,  or  ever  can  fall, 
while  properly  holding  to  this  doctrine.  "  Take  heed 
to  thyself,  and  to  the  doctrine ;  continue  in  them :  for 
in  doing  this  thou  shalt  both  save  thyself,  and  them 
that  hear  thee."  1  Tim,  iv.  16. 

By  turning  to  fallen  churches  we  are  admonished  of 
another  error,  viz.:  this,  their  depending  upon  the 
piety  of  the  fathers,  while  they  had  none  of  their  own. 
The  fallen  Jewish  church  kept  crying,  "  We  have 
Abraham  to  our  father,"  when  Christ  said,  "  Ye  are 
of  your  father,  the  devil."  The  fallen  Christian  church, 
too,  was  constantly  talking  and  arguing  about  the 
fathers,  even  during  the  dark  ages.  As  for  the  Church 
of  Rome,  she  will  have  nothing  but  certain  fathers ; 
and,  what  makes  the  matter  worse,  she  makes  fathers 
of  all  sorts  of  sinners  and  errorists.  Others  talk  about 
Martin  Luther,  John  Calvin,  John  Knox,  Lattimer, 
Ridley  and  others ;  while  they  are  utterly  destitute  of 
their  piety.  And  Methodists,  too,  are  in  danger  of  fall- 
ing into  the  same  error.  Nay,  many  have  talked  loud- 
ly, and  many  still  talk  loudly  about  "  old  fashioned 
Methodism,"  who,  we  fear,  were,  or  are,  more  nearly 
related  to  old  fashioned  Pharisaism;  and  the  holy 
men  to  whom  they  claim  kindred,  would,  we  fear,  be 
ashamed  of  them,  and,  perhaps,  disown  them,  were 
they  now  living.  If  we  would  have  the  power,  and  re- 
tain it,  let  us  guard  against  all  these  errors. 

Once  more.  To  retain  this  power,  either  as  churches 
or  as  individuals,  there  must  be  Christian  Pkogres- 
siON,  and  to  this  subject  we  will  now  turn  our  attention. 
All  creation  is  moving,  and  it  is  absurd  to  suppose  that 
either  the  church  or  the  individual  Christian  can  stand 

15* 


174  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

still.  Mind  moves  everything,  and  thought  moves 
mind.  Hence,  as  the  means  of  communicating  thought 
become  more  and  more  abundant,  we  should  abound 
more  and  more  in  Christian  activities,  and  Christian 
progression.  The  reformers  of  the  1st,  16th,  and  18th 
centuries  had  to  travel  principally  on  foot,  or  were 
carried  occasionally  by  quadrupeds  that  could  travel 
but  little  faster ;  hence  the  thinking  agents  and  their 
thoughts  moved  slowly  in  those  days.  Now  they  move 
with  marvellous  rapidity,  by  the  force  of  wind  and 
steam.  During  the  time  that  Paul  travelled  from  Je- 
rusalem to  Rome,  or  Wesley  from  London  to  Dublin, 
a  man  may  now  pass  from  the  Eastern  to  the  Western 
Continent,  and  preach  the  gospel  in  both  hemispheres. 
And  as  to  thought,  it  is  carried,  not  by  two,  or  by  four 
weary  feet,  but  by  the  lightning,  leaping  from  city  to 
city,  from  island  to  island,  and  from  continent  to  con- 
tinent. Hence,  even  the  lightning  acts  more  efficiently 
now  than  it  did  in  those  days.  Then  it  was  satisfied  to 
leap  from  cloud  to  cloud,  and  thence  to  the  earth,  and 
back  again.  But  now,  by  means  of  the  wire  it  leaps 
from  continent  to  continent  as  readily  as  it  then  leaped 
from  cloud  to  cloud.  Then  it  carried  no  thought;  now 
it  comes  freighted  with  thought  every  time  It  is  un- 
reasonable, therefore,  to  suppose  that  the  Christian 
progression  that  sufficed  to  meet  the  claims  of  God  in 
those  days,  will  equally  suffice  in  these  days,  when  the 
means  of  progression  are  so  much  more  abundant. 
Let  us,  therefore,  carefully  Investigate  this  subject,  the 
subject  of  Christian  Progression. 


CHAPTER  y. 

THE   NATURE,  AND  NECESSITY,  OF  CHRISTIAN 
PROGRESSION. 

Tn  support  of  this  proposition  the  unchangeableness  of  God,  and 
the  essential  activity  of  mind  are  referred  to — Progression  or 
retrogression  inevitable — The  word  progress  furnishes  Bun- 
yan  with  both  the  title  and  theme  of  his  remarkable  book — 
This  idea  runs  through  all  the  teachings  of  the  bible — Many 
authors  are  quoted  in  support  of  this  proposition,  and 
many  arguments  advanced — Many  illustrations  are  given, 
together  vrith  criticisms  on  the  original. 

To  develop  and  establish  this  proposition,  is  the 
work  to  which  we  will  now  apply  our  best  efforts, 
in  the  fear  of  God. 

God  is  unchangeable,  and  he  only.  Of  none  but 
the  Infinite  can  it  be  said  that  he  is  "  the  same 
yesterday,  and  to-day,  and  forever."  Hence,  all 
creatures  are  changeable,  and  this  implies  progres- 
sion, or  retrogression,  for  there  are  but  the  two 
directions  in  which  the  change  can  'take  place. 
This  being  true,  the  necessity  of  progression  is 
indisputable ;  for  that  which  does  not  progress, 
must  retrograde,  there  being  no  medium. 

Again,  mind  is  active,  essentially  so.  I  cannot 
conceive  of  mind,  or  spirit,  as  being  inactive  ;  action 
is  coeval  with  its  existence,  and  co-extensive  with 
its  being.     Matter  is  inert,  but  mind  certainly  is 

115 


176      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

not.  There  can  neither  be  action  without  mind, 
nor  mind  without  action.  Mere  matter  cannot 
move  itself.  Whether  it  has  tlie  solidity  of  the 
granite-rock,  the  elasticity  of  air,  or  the  tenuity  of 
the  nebula,  it  is  alike  destitute  of  self-action.  Not 
so  mind;  it  is,  I  repeat,  esC'entiaUy  active :  action  is 
one  of  its  essential  properties ;  when  it  ceases  to  act, 
it  ceases  to  be  mind,  and  when  it  ceases  to  be  mind, 
it  ceases  to  be.  Mental  action  is  moral  action. 
You  can  no  more  divest  mental  action  of  moral 
quality,  than  you  can  divest  mind  of  a  moral 
nature.  Moral  action  must  be  good  or  bad ;  to 
suppose  it  to  be  neither,  implies  a  palpable  contra- 
diction ;  it  may  be  good,  better,  or  best ;  bad,  worse, 
or  worst ;  but  neither  good  nor  bad  it  cannot  be, 
for  the  word  moral  implies  quality,  either  good  or 
bad ;  and  this,  again,  implies  progression,  or  retro- 
gression, and  is  another  argument  in  favor  of  the 
necessity  of  Cfe'istian  Progression,  seeing  not  to 
progress,  is  to  retrograde,  or,  to  use  the  common 
expression,  backslide.  So  true  it  is,  that  "  there  is 
no  standing  still  in  religion."  Nor  is  it  any  more 
possible  to  stand  still  in  sin,  nor  in  an}^  thing. 
This  Jaw  extends  to  all  that  is  created,  but  is  most 
strikingly  sfeen  in  the  vegetable,  the  animal  and 
the  mental  departments ;  and  still  more  so,  perhaps, 
in  the  religious  world,  where  probation,  and  pro- 
gression, are  so  peculiarly  connected. 

The  manner  in  which  John  Bunj^an  seizes  and 
presents  the  principle  of  Christian  progress  is,  we 
think,  worthy  of  a  passing  notice.  The  word  pro- 
gress, furnishes  the  immortal  dreamer  with  both 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  1Y7 

the  name  and  subject  of  his  book.     He  does  not  call 
it  the  pilgrims'  journey,  the  pilgrims'  history,  the 
pilgrims'   adventures,   or    the   pilgrims'    conflicts ; 
though  all  these  ideas  are  included ;  no,  he  calls  it 
*'  The  Pilgrims'  Progress,"  and  from  the  title  page, 
to  the  last  page  of  his  wonderful  book,  he  never 
departs  from,  or  loses  sight  of  this  grand  principle 
He  finds  the  subject  of  his  wonderful  narrative  in 
"  The  City  of  Destruction  ;"  and  he  represents  that 
person  as  being  moved  to  set  out  on  the  adven- 
turous journey  by  a  single  idea,  or  conviction,  viz., 
this,  if  I  remain  here  I  will  be  destroyed/     And, 
let  it  be  distinctly  noticed,  no  one  ever  set  out  on 
that  pilgrimage,  or  ever  will,  till  moved  by  that  same 
idea.     "  I  perish,"  was  the  language  of  the  prodigal 
son  ;  and  with  this  conviction  in  his  mind,  and  these 
words  on  his  lips,  he  started  for  his  father's  house, 
and  to  his  father's  house  he  came.     Nor  was  it  a 
mere  illusion  of  the  imagination  that  led  the  prodi- 
gal thus  to  think  and  act, ;  no,  it  was  stern  and  ter- 
rible reality ;  for  he  certainly  would  have  perished 
had  he  remained  where  he  was,  and   he   knew   it ; 
hence  he  rose  and  departed ;  nor  does  any  one  start 
on  the  Christian  journey  till  moved  by  the  same  con- 
viction.    Therefore,  let   all  who  would  move  sin- 
ners to   flee   from   destruction,  labor  to  convince 
them  of  the  certainty  of  their  destruction,  if  they 
remain  where  they  are.     In  this,  as  in  other  partic- 
ulars, John  Bunyan  adhered  closely  to  bible  teach- 
ing. 

But  let  us  follow  Bunyan's  pilgrim  a  few  moments 
that  we  may  see  how  our  dreamer  develops  his 


178      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

grand  idea  of  Christian  progress.  Moved  by  this 
terrible  conviction,  the  alarmed  sinner  starts ;  and 
when  his  neighbours  would  persuade  him  to  remain, 
he  stops  his  ears,  and  runs  crying  "  life,  life."  He 
groans,  however,  under  a  heavj'-  burden,  but  still  he 
urges  forward,  as  best  he  may,  till  he  gets  a  sight 
of  the  cross,  when  the  cords  that  bind  the  burden 
to  his  back  are  at  once  snapped  in  sunder,  and  the 
burden  falling  off,  rolls  into  the  open  grave  of  a 
risen  Saviour.  Nor  does  he  stop  here,  or  at  the 
Slough  of  Despond  either,  but  still  urges  his  way 
through  and  beyond.  Neither  is  the  progress 
terminated  by  the  attractions  of  "  Vanity  Fair,"  nor 
by  those  of  "  By-path  Meadow,"  nor  even  by  "  The 
Hill  Difficulty  ;"  still  the  progress  is  upward  and  on- 
ward. And  even  when  the  fields  of  "Beulah"  are 
reached,  "where  the  sun  never  sets,"  and  where  the 
pilgrim's  locks  are  wafted  by  breezes  from  the  pro- 
mised land,  still  the  progress  is  continued  ;  onward 
and  onward :  now  Jordan  is  reached,  but  even  here, 
the  pilgrim  does  not  so  much  as  pause,  but  dashes 
through  the  swelling  flood,  and  is  soon  in  "  that 
good  land  beyond  Jordan," — 

"  Where  everlasting  spring  abides 

And  ncA'cr-witlieriiig  flowers  ;" 

and  even  now,  the  progress  continues,  and  will, 
while  endless  ages  roll ;  for  immutability  is  as  im- 
possible in  heaven  as  on  earth ;  God  alone  is  immu- 
table. 

It   is   not   till  we  examine  the  Scriptures  with 
regard  to  this  great  principle,  that  we  discover  the 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  179 

prominent  place  that  it  there  occupies,  and  the 
frequency  with  which  it  is  developed  and  inforced. 
Take  a  few  instances — "  Therefore  leaving  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  let  us  go  on  unto 
perfection."  By  reference  to  this  passage,  Heb.  x., 
it  will  be  seen  that  the  Apostle  iuforces  this  exhorta- 
tion lest  we  "  fall  away,"  showing  tliat  between  pro- 
gression,  and  retrogression,  there  is  no  medium,  and 
this  is  as  true  of  churches  as  it  is  of  individuals  I 
Again,  "  Not  as  though  I  had  already  attained, 
either  were  already  perfect :  but  I  followed  after,  if 
that  I  may  apprehend  that  for  which  also  I  am 
apprehended  by  Christ  Jesus.  Brethren,  I  count 
not  myself  to  have  apprehended  :  but  this  one  thing 
I  do,  forgetting  those  things  which  are  behind,  and 
reaching  forth  unto  those  things  which  are  before, 
I  press  toward  the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high 
calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus."  So  completely 
was  Paul's  mind  occupied  with  the  idea  of  progress, 
that  he  considered  himself  as  having  but  "this  one 
thing"  to  attend  to,  so  far  as  he  himself  was  con- 
cerned. Onward,  and  onward,  with  increased,  and 
increasing  speed,  he  urged  his  way,  exclaiming, 
"  This  one  thing  I  do,  forgetting  those  things  which 
are  behind,  and  reaching  forth  unto  those  things 
which  are  before,  I  press  toward  the  mark  for  the 
prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus." 
Deeply  impressed  with  the  glorious  idea  that  his 
was  a  HIGH  CALLING,  Paul  left  behind,  rose  above, 
and  even  forgot  what  was  little  and  low,  com- 
paratively, and  rose  higher  and  higher  in  his  heaven- 
ward flight.     As  when  the  eagle  soars  aloft,  the 


180  POWER   WITH    GOD   AND   WITH    MEN. 

earth  and  earthly  objects  seem  to  become  less  and 
less,  till  they  are  wholly  lost  sight  of,  and  even 
forgotten;  while  the  sun  toward  which  she  flies 
seems  constantly  increasing  in  magnitude  and  splen- 
dor. In  like  manner,  the  things  that  Paul  left  be- 
hind seemed  to  become  less  and  less,  till  they  were 
wholly  lost  sight  of,  and  even  forgotten,  while  the 
object  toward  which  he  soared  seemed  to  be  con- 
stantly increasing  in  magnitude  and  splendor. 
This  is  the  idea  that  Charles  Wesley  seized,  and 
attempted  to  express  in  the  following  beautiful 
lines : — 

"  Patient  the  appointed  race  to  run, 

This  -weary  world  we  cast  behind  ; 
From  strength  to  strength  we  travel  on, 

The  New  Jerusalem  to  find: 
Our  labor  this,  our  only  aim, 
To  find  the  New  Jerusalem. 

"  Through  thee,  who  all  our  sins  hast  borne 

Freely  and  graciously  forgiven, 
With  songs  to  Zion  we  return, 

Contending  for  our  native  heaven ; 
That  palace  of  our  glorious  King, — 
We  find  it  nearer  while  we  sing. 

"  Raised  by  the  breath  of  love  divine, 

We  urge  our  way  with  strength  renew'd ; 

The  church  of  the  first-born  to  join, 
We  travel  to  the  Mount  of  God  : 

With  joy  upon  our  heads  arise. 

And  meet  our  Saviour  in  the  skies." 

Such  pilgrims  are  journeying  in  what  Bunyan 
calls  "  The  land  of  Beulah,"  where  the  sun  never 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  181 

sets;"  such  pilgrims  ''rejoice  evermore,  pray  with- 
out ceasing,  and  in  everything  give  thanks."  And 
as  to  "The  Slough  of  Despond,"  "Vanity  Fair," 
and  "Doubting  Castle,"  they  have  long  since  been 
left  far  behind,  out  of  sight,  and  are  even  forgotten. 
But  still  the  progress  continues,  "  from  strength  to 
strength,"  and  "from  glory  to  glory:"  and  as  they 
go  they  exclaim,  "  Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard, 
neither  have  entered  into  the  heart  of  man,  the 
things  which  God  hath  prepared  for  them  that  love 
him."  This  progress  must  continue  while  end- 
less ages  roll,  and  at  every  period  of  duration  it 
will  remain  strictly  true,  that  eye  hath  not  seen, 
nor  heart  conceived,  save  in  part,  what  "  God  hath 
prepared  for  them  that  love  him ;"  for,  as  Richard 
Watson  beautifully  observes,  "  God  is  unsearchable. 
All  we  see  or  hear  of  him  is  faint  and  shadowy 
manifestation.  Beyond  the  highest  glory,  there  is 
yet  an  un pierced  and  unapproached  light,  a  track 
of  intellectual  and  moral  splendor  untravelled  by 
the  thoughts  of  the  contemplating  and  adoring 
spirits  who  are  nearest  to  his  throne.  The  mani- 
festation of  this  nature  of  God,  never  fully  to  be 
revealed,  because  infinite,  is  represented  as  consti- 
tuting the  reward  and  felicity  of  heaven.  This  is 
*  to  see  God.'  This  is  '  to  be  forever  with  the  Lord.' 
This  is  to  behold  his  glory  as  in  a  glass,  with  un- 
veiled face,  and  to  be  changed  into  his  image,  from 
glory  to  glor}',  in  boundless  progression  and  infinite 
approximation.  Yet,  after  all,  it  will  be  as  true, 
after  countless  ages  spent  in  heaven  itself,  as  in  the 
present  state,  that  none  by  '  searching  can  find  out 
16 


182  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

God,' that  is,  'to  perfection.'  He  will  then  be  'a 
God  that  hideth  himself,'  and  widely  as  the  illumina- 
tion may  extend,  '  clouds  and  darkness  will  still  be 
round  about  him.'  " 

But  as  we  are  speaking  more  especially  of  the 
necessity  of  Christian  progression,  progression  in 
the  present  life,  and  of  the  frequency  with  which 
this  idea  is  enforced  in  the  Scriptures  we  will  quote 
a  few  more  texts.  .  Psalm  cii.  12,  13.  "  The 
righteous  shall  flourish  like  the  palm-tree  :  he  shall 
grow  like  a  cedar  in  Lebanon.  Those  that  be 
planted  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  shall  flourish  in 
the  courts  of  our  God.  They  shall  bring  forth 
fruit  in  old  age;  they  shall  be  fat  and  flourishing." 
It  will  be  seen  that  the  growth  here  spoken  of  is 
not  stopped,  nor  even  checked  by  old  age,  no, 
being  "planted  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,"  they 
still  grow,  flourish,  and  bring  forth  fruit.  The 
same  truth  is  beautifully  expressed  by  Hosea,  chap, 
viii.  :  "  I  will  be  as  the  dew  unto  Israel ;  he  shall 
grow  as  the  lily,  and  cast  forth  his  roots  as  Leba- 
non. His  branches  shall  spread,  and  his  beauty 
shall  be  as  the  olive-tree,  and  his  smell  as  Leba- 
non." Our  blessed  Lord  uses  the  same  illustration 
for  the  same  purpose,  Mark  iv.  26,  32.  It  is  only 
necessary  to  remind  the  reader  of  the  frequency 
with  which  the  Apostles  exhort  Christians  to  grow, 
and  give  instruction  as  to  how  this  growth  is  pro- 
moted. Take  the  following  as  instances.  Eph. 
iv:  "But  speaking  the  truth  in  love,  may  grow 
up  into  him  in  all  things,  which  is  the  head,  even 
Christ."     1  Pet.  ii.  2 :  "As  new  born  babes,  desire 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  183 

the  sincere  milk  of  the  word,  that  ye  may  grow 
thereby.  2  Pet.  iii.  18  :  "But  grow  in  grace  and 
in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ."  Once  more.  Heb.  x.  38,39:  "  Now  the 
just  shall  live  by  faith:  but  if  he  drawback,  my 
soul  shall  have  no  pleasure  in  him.  But  we  are  not 
of  them  who  draw  back  unto  perdition ;  but  of 
them  that  believe  to  the  saving  of  the  soul."  Now, 
it  is,  we  think,  perfectly  clear  that  in  this  passage 
the  Apostle  recognizes  no  medium  between  going 
forward  and  drawing  back.  And  it  is  equally 
evident  that  while  life  and  salvation  are  the  result 
of  going  forward,  perdition  is'  the  result  of  going 
hack!  Nor  is  it  less  evident  that  the  Apostles 
connect  with  faith ;  life,  growth,  and  eternal  salva- 
tion ;  and  consequently,  all  power.  The  isoul  by 
faith  takes  hold  of  the  truth  of  God,  all  the  truth  ; 
the  doctrines,  the  promises,  and  the  precepts  ;  and 
with  the  truth  of  God,  takes  hold  of  God  himself, 
of  God  in  Christ ;  and  thus  makes  God's  power 
her  own.  Hence  the  Apostle  says,  "  The  life  that 
I  now  live  in  the  flesh,  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the 
Son  of  God,  who  loved  me,  and  gave  himself  for 
me."  This  faith  so  connects  the  soul  with  God 
in  Christ,  that  the  Apostle  says,  "  I  live ;  yet  not  I, 
but  Christ  liveth  in  me."  O  glorious  union!  I 
had  almost  said  oneness  with  Christ,  and,  conse- 
quently, with  God.  I  almost  tremble  to  say  it, 
and  yet,  what  other  words  will  express  the  sublime 
and  glorious  truth?  "  1  am  crucified  with  Christ: 
nevertheless  I  live ;  yet  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in 
me  I"     Paul  lived  in  Christ,  and   Christ  lived  in 


184  POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

Paul  I  He  is  so  lost  in  God,  that  when  he  says, 
"I  live,"  he  immediately  corrects  himself,  and 
says,  "3^et  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me."  In  an 
imexplainable,  yet  glorious  sense,  the  light,  the 
life,  the  wisdom,  the  power  of  Christ,  are  all  his 
own.  Or,  as  he  himself  expresses  it,  as  far  as 
human  language  can  express  it ; — "  But  of  him 
are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus,  who  of  God  is  made  unto 
us  wisdom,  and  righteousness,  and  sanctification, 
and  redemption :  that,  according  as  it  is  written, 
he  that  glorieth,  let  him  glory  in  the  Lord."  And 
all  this  by  faith!  No  wonder,  then,  that  "  all  things 
are  possible  to  them  that  believe."  Truly  "this 
is  the  victory  that  overcometh  the  world,  even  our 
faith."  No  wonder  that  Whitefield,  Wesley,  and 
other  holy  men,  were  a  power,  as  well  as  the 
Apostles.  They  were  united  to  God  by  faith ; 
they  lived  in  Christ  by  faith,  and  Christ  lived  in 
them.  He  was  their  wisdom,  their  righteousness, 
their  sanctification.  Dwelling  in  love,  they  dwelt 
in  God  and  God  in  them.  Hence  God  was  their 
strength,  as  well  as  their  refuge.  Hence,  too,  they 
had  poiver  with  God  and  with  man,  and  prevailed. 
And  all  this  by  faith  in  Christ.  And  as  their  faith 
increased,  which  it  did,  they  increased  in  wisdom 
and  strength  ;  the}''  increased  in  all  goodness  ;  they 
grew  "  up  into  Christ  their  living  head  in  all 
things."  By  faith  they  were  justified,  by  faith  !hey 
were  sanctified,  by  faith  they  lived,  by  faith  they 
conquered,  by  faith  they  ''  turned  the  world  upside 
down."  They  understood  this  glorious  doctrine; 
them  with  it  was  not  matter  of  opinion,  they  knew 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  185 

it   by  happy  experience      Hence   Charles  Wesley 
sang — 

"  By  faith  we  know  thee  strong  to  save  : 
(Save  us,  a  present  Saviour  thou  ;) 
Whate'er  we  hope,  by  faith  we  have  ; 
Future,  and  past,  subsisting  now. 

"  To  him  that  in  thy  name  believes, 
Eternal  life  with  thee  is  given  ; 
Into  himself  he  all  receives, — 

Pardon,  and  holiness,  and  heaven." 

Again : — 

"  Save  us  by  grace,  through  faith  alone, — 
A  faith  thou  must  thyself  impart : 
A  faith  that  would  by  works  be  shown, 
A  faith  that  purifies  the  heart. 

"  A  faith  that  doth  the  mountains  move, 
A  faith  that  shows  our  sins  forgiven, 
A  faith  that  sweetly  works  by  love, 
And  ascertains  our  claim  to  heaven." 

Again : — 

"  Thy  mighty  name  salvation  is, 

And  keeps  my  happy  soul  above: 
Comfort  it  brings,  and  power,  and  peace, 

And  joy,  and  everlasting  love : 
To  me,  with  thy  great  name  are  given 

Pardon,  and  holiness,  and  heaven. 

"  Jesus,  my  all  in  all  thou  art ; 

My  rest  in  toil,  my  ease  in  pain ; 
The  medicine  of  my  broken  heart ; 

In  war,  my  peace,  in  loss,  my  gain ; 
My  smile  beneath  the  tyrant's  frown  ; 
In  shame,  my  glory  and  my  crown  : 
16* 


186      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

"  In  want,  my  plentiful  supply ; 

In  weakness,  my  almighty  power ; 
In  bonds,  my  perfect  liberty ; 

My  light  in  Satan's  darkest  hour ; 
In  grief,  my  joy  unspeakable; 

My  life  in  death,  my  all  in  all." 

Once  more,  listen  to  this  sweet  singer : — 

"  Up  into  thee,  our  living  head, 

Let  us  in  all  things  grow, 
Till  thou  hast  made  us  free  indeed, 

And  spotless  here  below. 
Then,  when  the  mighty  work  is  wrought, 

Receive  thy  ready  bride : 
Give  us  in  heaven  a  happy  lot 

With  all  the  sanctified." 

Just  SO  it  was  that  John  Wesley  sang;  take  a 
single  instance,  the  first  that  comes  to  hand : — 

"  Arm  me  with  thy  whole  armor,  Lord  : 

Support  my  weakness  with  thy  might. 
Gird  on  my  thigh  thy  conquering  sword. 

And  shield  me  in  the  threat'ning  fight: 
From  faith  to  faith,  from  grace  to  grace, 

So  in  thy  strength  shall  I  go  on ; 
Till  heaven  and  earth  flee  from  thy  face, 

And  glory  end  what  grace  begun." 

Watts,  too,  is  in  raptures,  while  he  attempts  to 
express,  in  his  heavenly  numbers,  the  same  glorious 
truths.  Take  a  single  verse  from  that  beautiful  and 
well-known  hymn  on  p.  534  of  our  hymn  book  : — 

"  The  men  of  grace  have  found 
Glory  begun  below  : 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  187 

Celestial  fruit  on  earthly  ground 

From  faith  and  hope  may  grow ; 
Then  let  our  songs  abound, 

And  every  tear  be  dry  : 

We're  marching  through  Immanuel's  ground, 
To  fairer  worlds  on  high." 

Newton,  too,  is  in  raptures  when  he  attempts  to 
express  the  same  glorious  sentiments  in  his  exquisite 
numbers  : — 

"  How  sweet  the  name  of  Jesus  sounds 
In  a  believer's  ear  ; 
It  soothes  his  sorrows,  heals  his  wounds, 
And  drives  away  his  fear. 


"  Dear  Name,  the  rock  on  which  I  build, 
My  shield  an-d  hiding-place  ; 
My  never-failing  treasure  fill'd 
With  boundless  stores  of  grace." 

Again  : — 

*'  His  name  yields  the  richest  perfume, 
And  sweeter  than  music  his  voice ; 
His  presence  disperses  my  gloom, 

And  makes  all  within  me  rejoice ; 
I  should,  were  he  always  thus  nigh, 
Have  nothing  to  wish  or  to  fear ; 
No  mortal  so  happy  as  I, — 

My  summer  would  last  all  the  year. 

"  Content  with  beholding  his  face. 
My  all  to  his  pleasure  resign'd ; 

No  changes  of  season  or  place 

Would  make  any  change  in  my  mind : 

While  blest  with  a  sense  of  his  love, 
A  palace  a  toy  would  appear  ; 


188  POWER   WITH  GOD   AND  WITH   MEN. 

And  prisons  would  palaces  prove, 
If  Jesus  would  dwell  with  me  there." 

With  similar  sweetness  and  force  the  great  and 
good  Dr.  Doddridge  sings  the  same  glorious  truth, 
the  same  happy  experience.  Addressing  his  soul 
while  urging  onward  in  the  Christian  course,  he 
Bays : — 

''  'Tis  God's  all  animating  voice 
That  calls  thee  from  on  high  ; 
'Tis  he  whose  hand  presents  the  prize 
To  thine  aspiring  eye. 

*'  A  cloud  of  witnesses  around, 
Hold  thee  in  full  survey ; 
Forget  the  steps  already  trod, 
And  onward  urge  thy  way. 

"  Blest  Saviour !  introduced  by  thee, 
Our  race  have  we  begun  ; 
And  crown' d  with  vict'ry  at  thy  feet. 
We'll  lay  our  trophies  down." 

Again : — 

"  'Tis  to  my  Saviour  I  would  live, — 
To  him  who  for  my  ransom  died ; 
Nor  could  all  worldly  honor  give 
Such  bliss  as  crowns  me  at  his  side. 

"His  work  my  hoary  age  shall  bless, 
When  youthful  vigour  is  no  more ; 
And  my  last  hour  of  life  confess 

His  saving  love,  his  glorious  power." 

Lest  any  one  should  attempt  to  dispose  of  the 
fine  sentiments,  the  glorious  truth,  embodied  in  the 
above  and  similar  verses,  as  mere  flights  of  poetry, 
we  beg  to  remind  the  reader  of  the  experience  of 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  189 

the  Weslej^s,  Whitefield,  Lnther,  and  others  already 
given.  And  as  to  John  Newton,  his  remarkable 
conversion,  and  the  holy,  happy,  and  useful  life 
which  he  afterward  led,  are  well  known.  In  short, 
what  they  have  expressed  in  these  heavenly  songs, 
may  be  found  in  their  sermons,  and  their  other 
prose  writings.  And  the  whole  comes  to  us  sup- 
ported and  confirmed  b}^  their  unmistakable  con- 
sciousness, holy  lives,  and  remarkable  usefulness. 
Moreover,  the  same  truths  come  to  us  with  the  seal 
of  the  Eternal  Spirit,  and  may  be  found  in  God's 
own  Book,  confirmed  to  us  by  miracles  and  prophe- 
cies of  which  God  alone  can  be  the  Author.  It  is 
only  necessary  to  add,  that  the  vigorous  growing 
faith  here  exhibited,  must  result  in  progression, 
and  the  failure,  or  decline  of  faith,  must  as  neces- 
sarily result  in  retrogression.  If  faith  is  the  con- 
dition of  life  and  power,  it  must  be  the  condition  of 
their  continuance  and  increase.  "While  a  vigorous 
growing  faith  continues,  there  must  be  progression; 
for  God  has  promised  to  such  every  possible  good. 
Nor  can  the  opposition  of  men  and  devils  prevent 
the  fulfilment  of  such  promises,  while  the  vigorous 
growing  faith  continues:  on  the  contrarj-,  "All 
things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love 
God  ;  to  them  who  are  the  called  according  to  his 
purpose,"  which  would  not  be  true  if  any  thing 
outside  of  them  could  prevent  the  progress  of 
wliich  we  speak,  and  for  which  we  contend.  More- 
over, the  soul  that  is  in  possession  of  such  faith, 
vigorous  growing  faith  in  Christ,  must  be  active, 
and   such    action    implies    progress,   as   we   have 


190  POWER   WITH   GOD  AND  WITH   MEN. 

already  shown.  And  where  there  is  not  progres- 
sion, there  is  and  must  be  retrogression,  as  w^e  have 
also  shown.  Having  spoken,  more  especially,  of  the 
necessity  of  Christian  progression ;  we  will  now, 
more  particularly,  speak  of 

The  Nature  of  Christian  progression. — Perhaps 
the  word  nature  but  imperfectly  expresses  the  dis- 
tinction we  desire  to  make ;  we  use  it  as  the  best  we 
can  think  of  The  nature,  and  the  necessity,  of 
Christian  progression  are  so  closely  connected,  that 
neither  can  be  discussed  wholly  independent  of  the 
other.  Yet  for  the  sake  of  clearness  we  have  dwelt 
more  especially  upon  the  one,  and  will  now  dwell 
more  especially  upon  the  other,  viz.,  the  nature  of 
Christian  progress;  in  other  words,  the  way  and 
order,  in  which  the  progress,  or  advance,  is  made. 

The  grand  outlines  of  this  subject  may  be  found 
in  the  first  chapter  of  the  Second  Epistle  of  Peter, 
from  verse  five  to  verse  eleven.  To  our  mind  this 
is  the  finest  exhibit  of  this  subject  that  we  have  met 
with  even  in  the  word  of  God.  The  Apostle  ad- 
dresses himself  "  to  them  that  have  obtained  like  pre- 
cious faith  with  us  through  the  righteousness  of  our 
God  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ."  The  entire  intro- 
duction is  sublimely  beautiful,  and  inexpressibly 
rich.  He  desires  that  *'  grace  and  peace  may  be 
multiplied  unto  them  through  the  knowledge  of 
God,  and  of  Jesus  our  Lord,  according  as  his  divine 
power  hath  given  unto  us  all  things  that  pertain 
unto  life  and  godliness,  through  the  knowledge  of 
him  that  hath  called  us  to  glory  and  virtue,  where- 
by are  given  unto  us  exceeding  great  and  precious 


CHRISTIAN   PROGRESSION.  191 

promises  ;  that  by  these  ye  might  be  partakers  of 
the  divine  nature,  having  escaped  the  corruption 
that  is  in  the  world  through  lust  I" 

To  escape,  to  be  saved  from  this  corruption,  and 
to  be  made  xmrtakers  of  the  divine  nature,  are  the 
grand  objects  to  be  accomplished ;  nothing  short  of 
this  is  Gospel  Salvation,  even  in  this  life. 

"And  besides  this,"  says  the  Apostle,  "giving  all 
diligence,  add  to  your  faith  virtue."  It  will  be  ob- 
served that  the  Apostle  commences  the  progress 
with  faith;  because  the  things  which  he  exhorts 
Christians  to  add,  never  go  before,  but  always 
accompany  or  follow  this  faith  ;  I  say  this  faith;  for 
the  faith  of  which  he  speaks  is  evidently  that  upon 
the  exercise  of  which  God  justifies  the  ungodly  ;  the 
same  faith  that  the  Apostles  had :  hence  he  says, — 
"  To  them  that  have  obtained  like  precious  faith  with 
us."  The  same  faith  of  which  Paul  speaks  when  he 
says,  "Being  justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace  with 
God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ :  by  whom  also 
we  have  access  b}^  faith  into  this  grace  wherein  we 
stand,  and  rejoice  in  hope  of  the  glory  of  God." 
This  is  the  faith  to  which  the  particulars  here  speci- 
fied are  to  be  added.  You  can  no  more  add  these 
particulars  before  you  have  this  faith,  than  you  can 
build  the  architectural  structure  before  you  lay  the 
foundation.  It  is  as  true  in  the  former,  as  it  is  in 
the  latter  case,  that  there  is  nothing  upon  which  to 
build ;  nothing  to  which  the  additions  can  be  made. 
Moreover,  the  Christian  graces  which  the  Apostle 
here  specifies,  cannot  possibly  have  an  existence 
before  the  sinner  is  justified.     To  deny  this  state- 


192  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND    WITH    MEN. 

ment  is  to  say,  that  the  sinner  can  be  a  Christian 
before  he  is  justified,  and,  consequently,  before  he 
is  born  again  ;  and,  also,  without  the  agency  and 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  which  amounts  to  a  denial 
of  the  whole  Christian  sj^stem.  This  is  a  point  of 
great  importance;  for,  to  establish  it,  is  to  sweep 
away  at  a  single  stroke  the  whole  system  of  phari- 
saism,  the  grand  error  of  which  consists  in  the 
assumption  that  the  sinner  may  transform  himself 
into  a  Christian  before  he  is  justified  or  regenerated  ; 
and,  consequently,  independent  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
or  the  atonement !  Let  it  be  distinctly  noticed, 
then,  that  the  Apostle  proceeds  in  the  exact  order 
in  which  the  additions  are  made. 

We  are  not  to  suppose,  however,  that  any  one 
may  have  this  "precious  faith,"  and  3^et  be  wholly 
destitute  of  the  graces  here  specified.  No,  all  who 
have  this  faith  are  justified,  born  again,  adopted, 
sanctified,  and,  consequently,  have  all  these  graces, 
in  a  greater  or  less  degree  I  But  in  the  economy 
of  grace  each  is  to  be  increased  in  the  way  and  order 
here  specified  ;  this  is  the  work  of  the  Christian  life. 
In  support  of  this  view  we  refer  to  the  criticisms  of 
Doddridge,  Wesley,  Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  and  others, 
on  the  word  add,  here.  In  his  paraphrase  Doddridge 
says,  "  Be  careful  to  accompany  that  belief  with  all 
the  lovely  train  of  attendant  graces :  associate,  as  it 
were,  to  youv  faith,  virtue,  true  fortitude,  and  reso- 
lution of  mind,  which  may  enable  you  to  break 
through  that  variety  of  dangers  with  which  your 
faith  may  be  attended."  And  in  his  accompanying 
note   he   adds,   "  The   word   sTt^xoptjyf^ijats   properly 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  l9o 

signifies  to  lead  ug,  as  in  a  dance,  one  of  these  vir- 
tues after  another  in  a  beautiful  and  majestic  order." 
In  support  of  this  view,  he  quotes  several  critics  of 
high  authority.  It  is  assumed  by  the  Apostle,  that, 
having  the  "precious  faith,"  he  has  these  virtues  in 
a  greater  or  less  degree,  and,  instead  of  shrinking 
from  apparent  danger,  he  is  to  lead  up  one  of  these 
virtues  after  another  in  a  beautiful  and  majestic 
order,  as  a  general  would  lead  up  one  battalion  after 
another  into  line  of  battle,  as  far,  and  as  fast,  as  the 
opposing  powers  rendered  this  necessary.  This  is 
a  beautiful  and  sublime  idea.  The  Christian  soldier 
is  here  represented  as  being  supplied,  from  head- 
quartei's,  with  forces  sufficient  for  any  emergency, 
and  as  a  moral  agent  he  is  to  call  them  into  action 
as  the  exigency  may  require ;  hence,  if  he  does  not 
conquer,  the  fault  is  his  own,  for  the  King  in  whose 
cause  he  fights  keeps  him  well  supplied  with  forces 
sufficient  for  any  occasion,  and  he  here  gives  him 
directions  how  to  use  these  forces  ;  and  these  direc- 
tions being  complied  with,  "  One  shall  chase  a 
thousand,  and  two  shall  put  ten  thousand  to  flight," 
shall  "  turn  to  flight  the  armies  of  the  aliens ;"  in 
short,  "  No  weapon  formed  against"  such  "  shall 
prosper."  In  this  way,  while  the  moral  agency  of 
the  Christian  is  preserved,  and  his  heroism  de- 
veloped, the  sufficiency  is  seen  to  be  of  God  through 
the  atonement.  Hence  it  is,  that  certain  men  have 
been  an  all-conquering  power,  as  we  have  seen  in 
the  case  of  Whitefield,  Wesley,  Luther,  and  others  ; 
while  other  pusillanimous  creatures  hid  themselves, 
leaving  the  armies  of  the  aliens  to  march  forward 
17 


194      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

and  do  their  work  of  slaughter  unresisted !  The 
fact  is,  any  man  may  be  a  coward  or  a  hero,  just  as 
he  pleases;  and  all  men  acknowledge  this,  in  that 
they  blame  the  coward  for  his  cowardice,  and  praise 
the  hero  for  his  heroism :  and  God,  the  Almighty 
and  infallible  Judge,  does  the  same  I  This  same 
Peter  acted  the  coward  at  one  time,  and  the  hero 
at  another,  and  he  is  praised  and  blamed  accord- 
ingly, and  that  by  all  worlds ;  hence,  his  exhortation 
is  supported  by  his  experience  as  well  as  by  his 
Inspiration.  Thus  much  with  regard  to  the  entire 
passage,  and  with  regard  to  the  word  add,  lead  up, 
or  associate,  in  particular.  We  need  not  quote  the 
other  learned  critics  referred  to,  as  their  criticisms 
on  this  word  are  substantially  the  same  as  that  of 
Doddridge,  and  are,  doubtless,  correct ;  only  T  do 
not  like  the  reference  to  a  dance  for  illustration; 
hence  I  have  referred  to  the  more  noble  action  of  a 
general  in  the  field  of  battle  :  and  in  this  particular 
I  am  supported  by  other  Scriptures,  which  repre- 
sent Christians  as  a  noble  army  of  soldiers,  valiantly 
contending  with  opposing  forces :  but  they  never, 
I  think,  attempt  to  illustrate  this  noble  action  by 
the  silly  and  ridiculous  manoeuvering  in  a  dance. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Nature  of  Christian  progression — Meaning  of  the  word  aperjjr, 
courage.  The  command  and  promise  of  God  are  essential 
to  Christian  courage,  and  this  courage  is  essential  to  Chris- 
tian progression — Interesting  examples  are  given,  as  Daniel 
and  his  three  companions ;  and  David  slaying  Goliath ; 
Luther,  also,  and  many  other  men  of  courage  are  noticed— 
This  courage  can  only  exist  in  connection  with  Christian 
faith — It  does  not  precede,  but  results  from  faith — Faith 
and  courage  are  specially  necessary  for  the  work  of  the 
minister  of  Jesus. 

Let  us  now  proceed  to  notice  severally  the  noble 
forces  specified  by  the  Apostles,  and  the  order  in 
which  we  are  exhorted  to  associate  them  with  our 
faith,  and  lead  them  to  the  glorious  contest. 

"Add  to  your  faith  virtue."  I  have  often  been 
puzzled  with  the  word  virtue  here,  as  I  have  no 
doubt  others  have  been,  and  still  are ;  for  the  word 
virtue  may  mean  any  one  of  a  thousand  good 
qualities.  The  fact  is,  in  its  generic  form,  the  word 
apstrjv,  here  translated  virtue,  has  this  general 
meaning ;  but  in  its  specific  form,  as  here,  it  means 
courage,  or  fortitude,  as  the  critics  above  specified 
contend,  and  translate  accordingly.  Hence,  courage 
is  that  which  we  are  here  exhorted  to  add  to,  or 
associate  with,  our  faith.     This  is  the  noble  force 

195 


196      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

which  the  Christian  believer  is  exhorted  to  lead  at 
once  into  action,  and  thus  set  at  defiance,  resist, 
and  conquer  the  opposing  power,  or  powers.  Thus 
it  was  that  God  exhorted  Joshua  when  he  appoint- 
ed him  to  the  place  of  Moses,  as  the  great  leader 
of  the  armies  of  Israel.  This  fine  exhortation 
may  be  found  in  the  first  chapter  of  Joshua,  from 
verse  two  to  verse  nine,  and  ends  with  the  follow- 
ing remarkable  words, — "  Have  not  I  commanded 
thee  ?  Be  strong  and  of  a  good  courage  ;  be  not 
afraid,  neither  be  thou  dismayed  :  for  the  Lord  thy 
God  is  with  thee  whithersoever  thou  goest."  Three 
times  in  this  short,  but  very  comprehensive,  and 
very  forcible  exhortation,  Joshua  is  exhorted  to  be 
courageous ; — verse  6.  "  Be  strong  and  of  a  good 
courage:"  verse  1.  "  Only  be  thou  strong  and  very 
courageous:"  and  again  inverse  9.  "Have  not  I 
commanded  thee  ?  Be  strong  and  of  a  good 
courage."  Mark  the  repetition,  the  variation,  and 
the  connection,  of  the  words  strength,  courage, 
fear,  dismay.  Be  strong :  be  of  a  good  courage : 
be  thou  very  courageous  :  be  not  afraid  :  be  not  dis~ 
mayed.  Have  courage  in  such  measure  as  to 
exclude  all  fear  but  the  fear  of  God.  God  exhorts 
to  this  end,  and  he  positively  commands  ; — "  Have 
not  I  commanded  thee  ?  Be  strong  and  of  a  good 
courage."  Observe,  too,  the  important  fact,  for  it  is 
a  fact,  and  one  that  deserves  the  deepest  atten- 
tion ;  viz.,  that  without  this  courage  he  could  not 
obey  the  divine  commands — "  Only  be  thou  strong 
and  very  courageous,  that  thou  mayest  observe 
to  do  according  to  all  the  law  which  Moses  my 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  19 1 

servant  commanded  thee :  turn  not  from  it  to  the 
right  hand  or  to  the  left  that  thou  raayest  prosper 
whithersoever  thou  goest.  This  book  of  the  law 
shall  not  depart  out  of  thy  mouth  ;  but  thou  shalt 
meditate  therein  day  and  night,  that  thou  mayest 
observe  to  do  according  to  all  that  is  written  there- 
in :  for  then  thou  shalt  make  th}^  way  prosperous, 
and  then  thou  shalt  have  good  success."  Observe 
too,  that  all  the  motives  to  courageous  action,  are 
found  in  the  commands  and  promises  of  God ;— - 
**  Have  not  I  commanded  thee  ?" — "  There  shall 
not  any  man  be  able  to  stand  before  thee  all  the 
days  of  thy  life :  as  I  was  with  Moses,  so  will  I 
be  with  thee:  I  will  not  fail  thee,  nor  forsake  thee." 
Again.  "  The  Lord  thy  God  is  with  thee  whither- 
soever thou  goest."  Thus  clearly  are  we  taught 
that  God's  command  and  promise  are  the  motives 
to  courageous  action,  the  sole  rule  of  faith  and 
conduct,  the  basis  of  faith  and  confidence,  the 
spring  of  all  right  action,  and  the  only  ground 
upon  which  we  can  rationally  hope  for  success. 
It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the  commission  which 
Jehovah  here  gives  to  Joshua,  is  substantially 
the  same  as  that  which  Jesus  gave  to  his  disci- 
ples,— "  Teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  what- 
soever I  have  commanded  you :  and  lo,  I  am  with 
you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world." 
Those  who  have  read  the  New  Testament  will  re- 
member how  often  Jesus  exhorts  his  disciples 
not  to  be  afraid,  and,  consequently,  to  be  coura- 
geous; and  he  holds  out  precisely  the  same 
motives: — ''Fear  not,  ye  are  of  more  value  than 


198  POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

many  sparrows:" — "Lo  I  am  with  you  alway  :" — • 
"  Fear  not  them  that  kill  the  body  :" — "  The  very 
hairs  of  your  head  are  all  numbered."  The  sum  of 
all  is  contained  in  the  good  old  promise,  Deut. 
xxviii.  8.  "And  the  Lord,  he  it  is  that  doth  go 
before  thee ;  he  will  be  with  thee,  he  will  not  fail 
thee,  neither  forsake  thee :  fear  not,  neither  be 
dismayed."  In  Heb.  xiii.  5,  6,  we  have  the  same 
summing  up,  and  the  same  application, — "  Let 
your  conversation  be  without  covetousness ;  and 
be  content  with  such  things  as  ye  have :  for  he 
hath  said,  I  will  never  leave  thee,  nor  forsake 
thee.  So  that  we  may  boldly  sa}^ :  "The  Lord 
is  my  helper,  and  I  will  not  fear  what  man  shall 
do  unto  me."  It  is  quite  evident,  that  the  com 
mands  and  promises  of  Jehovah  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, and  those  of  Jesus  in  the  New,  are  essen- 
tially one,  and  i^rove  conclusively  that  the  Jesus 
of  the  New  Testament,  is  the  Jehovah  of  the  Old. 
Though  this  is  a  point  of  the  most  vital  inport- 
ance,  we  only  notice  it  in  passing,  it  being  sug- 
gested by  the  Scriptures  which  our  argument  led 
us  to  quote ;  for  it  is  evident  that  no  creature 
can  command  and  promise  as  above  without  blas- 
phemously assuming  what  belongs  to  God  only. 

The  command  and  promise  of  God  are  essential 
to  Christian  courage,  and  Christian  courage  is 
essential  to  Christian  progression.  Without  this 
courage  no  man  can  do  the  work,  fight  the  battles, 
or  even  profess  the  faith  of  the  Christian  ;  for  the 
duties  of  the  Christian  life  are  such,  that  courage  is 
in   requisition    much    more    frequently    than    some 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  199 

may  be  inclined  to  believe.  This  arises,  in  a  great 
measure,  from  that  opposition  which  the  world  and 
the  devil  present  to  every  thing  that  is  vital  in 
religion.  Hence  it  requires  courage  even  for  the 
young  convert  to  obey  that  command,  "Go  home 
to  thy  friends,  and  tell  them  how  great  things  the 
Lord  hath  done  for  thee,  and  hath  had  compassion 
on  thee ;"  and  even  the  old  professor,  under  some 
circumstances,  feels  the  need  of  courage  to  perform 
this  important  and  very  plain  duty.  But  why  is 
this  ?  If  one  should  become  heir  to  a  great 
property,  a  fine  estate,  with  certain  honorable 
titles  attached  to  it,  courage  does  not  seem  to  be 
necessary  to  make  these  facts  known  :  but  when  the 
sinner  is  converted,  b"orn  again,  he  becomes  heir  to 
a  glorious  inheritance,  to  which  the  most  honorable 
titles  are  attached,  and  yet  he  shrinks  from  the 
duty  of  making  the  facts  known.  Yea,  and  unless 
he  adds  to  his  faith  courage,  he  will  not  do  so, 
especially  under  some  circumstances,  and  just  here 
it  is,  in  all  probability,  where  the  announcement  is 
most  needed,  where  it  will  do  most  good ;  yet  he 
will  surely  fail  to  tell  what  God  has  done  for  him, 
unless  he  adds  courage  to  his  faith.  Again,  it 
will  frequently  require  courage  to  obey  that  plain 
command,  "  Thou  shalt  in  any  wise  rebuke  thy 
neighbor,  and  not  suffer  sin  upon  him ;"  or  as  it  is 
in  the  margin,  "that  thou  bear  not  sin  for  him." 
The  same  duty  is  enjoined  by  our  blessed  Lord, 
"  Go  and  tell  him  his  fault  between  thyself  and 
him  alone,"  but  plain  as  is  this  duty  you  will  not 
perform  it  in  one  instance  out  of  ten  when  it  is 


200  POWER   WITH    GOD   AND  WITH    MEN. 

your  duty  so  to  do,  unless  you  add  courage  to  your 
faith ;  you  know  it  is  God  that  commands  you  to 
do  so,  yet  j^ou  will  certainly  disobey  the  command 
unless  you  add  to  your  faith  virtue. 

The  above  are  only  a  few  of  the  instances  which 
are  of  frequent  occurrence ;  but  there  are  other 
instances  which,  though  they  do  not  occur  so  often, 
require  much  more  courage  when  they  do  occur; 
instances  wherein  fidelity  to  God  will,  apparently, 
at  least,  involve  great  risk.  Take  the  case  of  the 
three  Hebrew  children  :  a  snare  is  laid  for  them,  and 
is  laid  with  deep  infernal  cunning.  An  image  is 
set  up  on  the  plain  of  Dura ;  it  is  made  of  gold,  and 
is  some  ninet}^  feet  high.  "  The  princes,  the  gover- 
nors, and  the  captains,  the  treasurers,  the  counsel- 
lors, the  sheriffs,  and  the  rulers  of  the  provinces, 
were  gathered  together  unto  the  dedication  of  the 
image  which  Nebuchadnezzar  had  set  up.  And 
they  stood  before  the  image  which  Nebuchadnezzar 
the  king  had  set  up!  Then  a  herald  cried  aloud, 
To  you  it  is  commanded,  O  people,  nations,  and 
languages,  that  at  what  time  ye  hear  the  sound  of 
the  cornet,  flute,  harp,  sackbut,  psaltery,  dulcimer, 
and  all  kinds  of  music,  ye  fall  down  and  worship 
the  golden  image  that  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king 
hath  set  up,  and  whoso  falleth  not  down  and  wor- 
shippeth,  shall  the  same  hour  be  cast  into  the  midst 
of  the  burning  fiery  furnace."  The  call  has  been 
given,  and  promptly  has  it  been  obeyed  by  the 
various  nations  and  languages  to  whom  it  came. 
See !  the  vast  plain  of  Dura,  in  the  province  of 
Babylon,  is  literally  crowded  from  its  centre  to  its 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  201 

circumference,  and  first  and  foremost  in  this  crowd 
of  idolators  are  seen  multitudes  of  office-seekers, 
especially  those  who  expect  to  fill  the  vacant 
offices  of  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  when 
they  shall  have  been  consumed.  The  signal  is 
given,  and  lo!  the  vast  multitude  lie  prostrate 
before  the  image,  three  only  excepted.  Noble  men  I 
see  how  erect  they  stand  amid  the  prostrate  nations, 
even  in  sight  of  the  furnace  that  burns  with  seven- 
fold intensity,  flashing  and  flaming  with  infernal 
fury.  But  neither  the  fury  of  the  king,  nor  that  of 
the  fiery  furnace,  can  induce  these  men  to  bow  in 
worship  to  any  save  the  God  of  their  fathers. 
Even  now  life  and  honors  are  off'eredto  them  if  they 
will  only  worship  like  others  ;  if  they  will  fall  down 
with  the  princes,  and  other  office-seekers,  with 
them,  they  are  told,  they  shall  share  both  offices 
and  honors ;  but  it  is  to  no  purpose  that  the  king 
"  in  his  rage  and  fury,"  threatens  death,  and  oflTers 
his  gifts :  these  heroes  promptly  reply,  "  O,  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, we  are  not  careful  to  answer  thee  in 
this  matter."  Mark,  their  mind  was  fully  made  up ; 
hence  they  did  not  ask  time  to  think;  this  was 
entirely  unnecessary  ;  their  judgment  was  already 
convinced,  and  their  purpose  firmly  fixed  as  to  the 
course  they  should  pursue.  Even  to  hesitate  is  a 
crime,  where  duty  is  clear ;  and  those  who  do  so, 
will  surely  yield  to  the  temptation ;  and  it  were 
better  to  do  so  at  once  than  to  increase  their  guilt 
by  equivocation  and  deception.  But  these  honest 
courageous  men  at  once  gave  the  king  to  understand 
that  it  was  simply  impossible  for  him  to   fright 


202  POWER   WITH   GOD    AND  WITH    MEN. 

them  into  submission,  and  that  he  would  surely  be 
disappointed  if  he  should  indulge  any  hope  of 
succeeding  by  such  measures.  Hence  they  added, 
"If  it'  be  so,  our  God  whom  we  serve  is  able  to 
deliver  us  from  the  burning  fiery  furnace,  and  he 
will  deliver  us  out  of  thy  hand,  O  king,  but  if  not, 
be  it  known  unto  thee,  O  king,  that  we  will  not 
serve  thy  gods,  nor  worship  the  golden  image 
which  thou  hast  set  up."  Whether  we  are,  or 
are  not,  delivered,  we  will  not  worship  thee  or 
thine  image  1  This  was  plain,  honest,  straightfor- 
ward. It  was  just  as  it  should  be.  Never  before 
had  the  king  of  Babylon  met  with  such  men,  never 
before  had  he  heard  such  language  :  such  language 
is  used  by  none  but  the  saints  of  the  Most  High. 
Such  language  is  not,  and  never  was,  in  the  vo- 
cabulary of  this  world.  As  to  office-seekers,  it  is 
foolishness  unto  them,  neither  can  they  understand 
it,  for  it  is  spiritually  discerned,  and  spiritual 
discernment  is  a  faculty  that  does  not  belong  to 
courtiers  and  office-seekers ;  they  have  no  use  for 
it ;  the  things  they  seek  are  discovered  by  a  very 
different  faculty.  And  as  to  the  proud  king  of 
Babylon,  this  language  was  to  him  as  inexplicable 
as  it  was  offensive.  The  mysterious  writing  upon 
the  palace,  at  an  after  period,  was  not  more  inex- 
plicable to  Belshazzar,  than  was  this  language  to 
Nebucha<^nezzar.  The  effect,  however,  was  some- 
what different,  and  is  worthy  of  notice.  "  Then 
was  Nebuchadnezzar  full  of  fury,  and  the  form  of 
his  visage  was  changed  against  Shadrach,  Meshach, 
and  Abed-nego ;  therefore  he  spake,  and  commanded 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  203 

that  they  should  heat  the  furnace  one  seven  times 
more  than  it  was  wont  to  be  heated.  And  he 
commanded  the  most  mighty  men  that  were  in  his 
army  to  bind  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego 
and  to  cast  them  into  the  burning  fiery  furnace.'" 
And  they  were  cast  in  as  he  commanded.  Birt 
their  God  was  able  to  deliver  them,  and  he  did 
deliver  them,  he  did  save  them,  not  from  the 
flames,  but  in  the  flames.  Thus  he  fulfilled  his  own 
promise,  they  passed  through  the  fire,  but  it  did 
not  consume  them.  No,  they  still  maintain,  in  the 
midst  of  the  burning  fiery  furnace,  the  same  erect 
position  that  they  maintained  in  the  midst  of  the 
idolatrous  worshippers  who  lay  prostrate  before 
the  image.  Then  the  king  drew  near  and  said, 
"  Lo,  I  see  four  men  loose,  walking  in  the  midst  of 
the  fire,  and  they  have  no  hurt :  and  the  form  of 
the  fourth  is  like  the  Son  of  God."  We  may  well 
say,  "  Who  ever  trusted  in  the  Lord  and  was  con- 
founded :"  "  Blessed  are  all  they  that  put  their 
trust  in  him."  Noble  men !  when  I  see  them  stand- 
ing erect  in  the  midst  of  the  prostrate  multitudes, 
defiant  of  all  threats  and  all  dangers,  I  almost  feel 
like  falling  at  t?heir  feet.  But  methinks  I  hear 
them  say,  *'  See  thou  do  it  not :  for  we  are  thy 
fellow  servants,  and  of  thy  brethren  the  prophets, 
and  of  them  which  keep  the  sayings  of  this  book : 
worship  God." 

These  men  by  their  courageous  conduct  did  more 
for  the  cause  of  God,  than  was  ever  done  by  all  the 
time  serving  pusillanimous  creatures,  since  or 
before.     By  this  heroic  act  they  struck  down  the 


204      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

idols  of  Chaldea,  so  that  they  fell  like  Dagon 
before  the  ark  of  the  Lord.  As  for  the  mean  cour- 
tiers and  office-seekers,  they  were  covered  with 
shame,  while  Nebuchadnezzar,  and,  it  is  hoped, 
many  others,  worshipped  the  true  God ;  nor  was 
there  a  single  individual,  for  the  present  at  least, 
who  would  dare  to  worship  the  image  that  the  king 
had  set  up ;  for  the  threatening  that  had  a  little 
while  previous  to  this  act  been  hurled  at  the  wor- 
shippers of  the  true  God,  are  now  hurled  at  all  who 
would  dare  to  worship  any  other.  And  three  men 
achieved  this  mighty  victory,  and  produced  this 
glorious  revolution,  by  simply  adding  to  their  faith 
courage. 

Now,  we  ask,  wherein  did  these  men  distinguish 
themselves  from  other  men  ?  was  it  in  believing 
that  the  image  of  gold  was  not  the  true  God  ?  was 
not  entitled  to  the  worship  of  the  nations  ?  Cer- 
tainly not.  There  were  thousands  there  that  day, 
who  believed  this  as  firmly  as  they  did.  Nor  did 
the}^  experience  an}^  difficulty  in  believing  that  the 
God  of  their  fathers  alone  was  entitled  to  worship. 
This  was  neither  the  point  of  distinction,  nov  the  point 
of  difficulty.  What,  then,  was  the^  difficult  act  by 
which  they  distinguished  themselves,  and  by  which 
they  achieved  the  mighty  victory  ?  It  was  simply 
this  they  added  to  their  faith  courage.  And:  I  aver, 
that  this  is  the  grand,  the  difficult  act,  by  which  the 
great  and  good  have  always  been  distinguished 
from  other  men,  that  by  which  the3'-  have  surmount- 
ed the  greatest  difficulties,  and  produced  the  most 
glorious    results.      It  was    thus   that   Daniel  tri- 


CHRISTIAN   PROGRESSION.  205 

umphed  in  that  same  old  city  of  Babylon.  Daniel 
was  a  praying  man,  and  tlie  devil  undertook  to  put 
a  stop  to  his  praying ;  and  again  he  summoned  to 
his  help  his  old  friends,  the  office-seekers;  and 
they  agreed  upon  the  following  plan  :  '*  Then  these 
presidents  and  princes  assembled  together  to  the 
king,  and  said  thus  unto  him :  King  Darius,  live 
forever.  All  the  presidents  of  the  kingdom,  the 
governors,  and  the  princes,  the  counsellors,  and  the 
captains,  have  consulted  together  to  establish  a 
royal  statute,  and  to  make  a  firm  decree,  that 
whosoever  shall  ask  any  petition  of  any  God  or 
man  for  thirty  days,  save  of  thee,  0  king,  he  shall 
be  cast  into  the  den  of  lions.  Now,  0  king,  esta- 
blish the  decree,  and  sign  the  writing,  that  it  be 
not  changed,  according  to  the  law  of  the  Medes 
and  Persians,  which  altereth  not.  Wherefore  King 
Darius  signed  the  writing  and  the  decree."  This 
whole  procedure  was  very  cool,  and  it  was  as 
cunning  as  it  was  cool.  They  undertook  to  over- 
come the  king  by  flattery,  and  Daniel  by  murder- 
ous persecution.  With  regard  to  the  former  they 
were  successful,  but  with  regard  to  the  latter  they 
failed,  as  signally  as  their  brethren  had  failed  in 
the  case  of  the  three  Hebrew  heroes,  some  forty- 
three  years  previous  to  this  time.  These  men  seem 
to  have  forgotten  this  humiliating  defeat ;  or,  these 
three  champions  having,  in  all  probability,  gone  to 
their  reward,  it  was  probably  supposed  that  courage 
had  passed  away  with  them  ;  but  God  has  always 
his  man  for  the  emergency,  and  having  given  Shad- 
rach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  an  opportunity  to 
18 


206  POWER  WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

develop  their  courage,  he  now  gives  Daniel  a  simi- 
lar opportunity.  It  is  in  this  way  that  he  makes 
the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  him  while  he  restrains 
the  remainder ;  in  this  way  that  he  develops  the 
manhood  and  moral  power  of  his  servants,  and 
makes  the  abundant  grace  through  the  thanksgiv- 
ing of  many  redound  to  the  glory  of  God,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  "  all  things  work  together  for  good 
to  them  that  love  God,  to  them  that  are  the  called 
according  to  his  purpose."  And  such,  unquestiona- 
bly, have  been  the  results  in  all  the  instances  here 
noticed.  If  Daniel  and  his  three  friends  had  not 
been  tested  as  they  were,  these  glorious  develop- 
ments of  moral  courage  had  never  been  known,  and 
these  noble  men  had  lived  and  died  in  comparative 
obscurity.  And  who  can  estimate  the  loss  that  the 
church  and  the  world  would  have  sustained  in  con- 
sequence. Who  can  fully  estimate  the  effects,  the 
glorious  effects,  which  have  been  produced  by  the 
thrilling  stories  of  the  furnace  and  the  den  upon 
those  who  have  heard  those  stories  from  that  time 
to  the  present ;  and  who  can  estimate  the  effects 
that  will  yet  be  produced  by  these  wonderful  stories. 

But  let  us  follow  Daniel  through  his  terrible  con- 
flict, and  see  how  he  triumphs  over  his  enemies  and 
turns  to  flight  the  armies  of  the  aliens. 

"Now  when  Daniel  knew  that  the  writing  was 
signed,  he  went  into  his  house  ;  and  his  windows 
being  open  in  his  chamber  toward  Jerusalem,  he 
kneeled  upon  his  knees  three  times  a  day,  and 
prayed,  and  gave  thanks  before  his  God,  as  he  did 
aforetime." 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  20Y 

Those  vile  courtiers  and  office-seekers  well  knew 
what  Daniel's  custom  and  practice  were ;  they  have 
watched  him  narrowly,  and  were  convinced  that  the 
duties  of  his  high  and  important  office  were  dis- 
charged with  ability  and  scrupulous  fidelitj^  and 
that  his  life  was  irreproachable : — "  Then  said  these 
men,  we  shall  not  find  any  occasion  against  this 
Daniel,  except  we  find  it  against  him  concerning 
the  law  of  his  God."  The  snare  was  laid  with  deep, 
infernal  cunning ;  thej^  knew  that  he  was  as  faithful 
to  his  God  as  he  was  to  his  king.  Hence  he  will 
likely  pra}^  in  spite  of  all  consequences,  and  if  he 
does,  the  lions  shall  have  him,  and  if  he  does  not, 
said  the  devil,  I  will  have  him :  so  that  whatever 
course  he  takes,  said  his  enemies,  we  are  sure  of 
him !  but  they  were  mistaken,  and  gloriously  dis- 
appointed. 

The  hour  for  prayer  is  at  hand ;  and  the  devil 
and  his  servants  are  anxiously  watching  to  see  what 
Daniel  will  do.  He  seems  to  be  alone,  for  he  is  not 
said  to  have  consulted  his  three  faithful  friends  as 
formerly,  th«y,  as  we  have  supposed,  having  gone, 
"  where  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling,  and  where 
the  weary  are  at  rest ;"  hence,  Daniel  is  alone  in 
Babylon,  "  and  of  the  people,"  it  would  seem,  "  there 
were  none  with  him,"  but  his  God  is  with  him,  and 
he  is  with  God. 

The  hour  for  praj^er  has  arrived :  and  Daniel  is 
seen,  "as  aforetime,"  bending  his  steps  toward  the 
hallowed  place  of  prayer.  See  !  There  he  goes, 
wending  his  way  from  his  office  to  his  chamber, 
through  the  streets  of  Babylon,  idolatrous  Babylon  ! 


208      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

Calm  and  thoughtful  is  his  bearing  as  he  approaches 
nearer  and  nearer  to  the  merc3^-seat.  He  seems  to 
have  forgotten  all  but  his  God,  whom  he  "  serves 
without  fear," /br  he  has  added  to  his  faith  courage. 
His  enemies  are  agitated,  as  they  behold  him  from 
their  hiding  places.  Devils  are  agitated,  for  they 
too  behold  him,  as  with  firm  step  and  thoughtful 
mien  he  wends  his  way  to  the  place  of  prayer.  All 
worlds  view  him  with  intense  interest  as  he  journeys 
on :  and  methinks  I  hear  him  sing — 

"  While  thou,  Almighty  Lord,  art  nigh, 

My  soul  disdains  to  fear ; 
Both  sin  and  Satan  I  defy, 

Still  impotently  near ; 
Both  earth  and  hell  their  wars  may  wage, — 

I  mark  their  vain  design  : 
And  calmly  smile  to  see  them  rage 

Against  a  child  of  thine." 

Noble  man !  truly  thou  hast  added  to  thy  faith 
courage;  and  noble  were  the  acts  that  resulted 
from  thy  faith  and  courage.  Here  we  may  well  take 
up  the  language  of  James  and  say, — "  Seest  thou 
how  faith  wrought  with  his  works,  and  by  works 
was  his  faith  made  perfect." 

But  he  has  reached  the  place  of  prayer,  he  is  in 
his  chamber,  and  has  "kneeled  upon  his  knees." 
"  And  his  windows  being  open  toward  Jerusalem," 
he  will  not  close  them :  defiant  of  his  enemies,  he 
"  pra^^ed,  and  gave  thanks  before  his  God,  as  he  did 
aforetime,"  and  this  he  did  "three  times  a  day." 
*'  Then  these  men  assembled,  and  found  Daniel 
praying  and  making  supplication  before  his  God. 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  209 

Closely  did  they  watch,  and  carefully  did  they 
record  the  facts:  but  he  regarded  them  not.  Me- 
thinks  I  hear  him  sing  as  he  repeats  his  visits  to 
that  sacred  chamber,  that  hallowed  spot,  "  where 
prayer  was  wont  to  be  made ;" — 

"  Sweet  hour  of  prayer,  sweet  hour  of  prayer, 
That  calls  me  from  a  world  of  care  ; 
And  bids  me  at  my  Father's  throne. 
Make  all  my  wants  and  wishes  known ; 
In  seasons  of  distress  and  grief, 
My  soul  has  often  found  relief; 
And  oft  escap'd  the  tempter's  snare, 
By  thy  return,  sweet  hour  of  prayer." 

And,  let  it  be  distinctly  noticed,  this  was  really 
the  only  way  of  escape  that  was  left  for  him  at 
this  time.  If  he  prayed  not,  he  is  conquered,  he  is 
undone ;  but  praying  he  is  victorious,  he  triumphs 
over  all  his  enemies.  But  mark !  to  pray  at  this 
time  required  courage;  courage  was  absolutely 
necessary:  there  was  nothing,  absolutely  nothing, 
that  would  substitute  for  it.  When  Daniel  prayed, 
no  man  would  or  could  pray  without  courage,  even 
such  courage  as  only  springs  from  faith  in  God. 
And  such  was  Daniel's  courage,  for  he  added  it  to 
his  faith.  This  courage  never  goes  before  faith : 
when  it  exists  at  all,  it  accompanies  or  follows  faith, 
even  the  faith  by  which  a  sinner  is  justified  before 
God. 

When  these  men  found  Daniel  praying,  and  had 

proved  the  fact  against  him,  they  thought  they  had 

him  sure  enough ;  and  insisted  that  he  must  be  cast 

into  the  den  of  lions,  and  cast  in  he  was.     But 

18* 


210  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH    MEN. 

''man's  extremity  is  God's  opportunity."  This 
proved  specially  true  in  the  present  instance ;  for 
lions  and  political  office-seekers  are  alike  under 
God's  control.  In  proof  of  this  we  have  only  to 
glance  again  at  the  history  before  us.  "  My  God,'' 
says  Daniel,  "hath  sent  his  angel,  and  hath  shut 
the  lions'  mouths,  that  they  have  not  hurt  me :  for 
as  much  as  before  him  innocency  was  found  in  me  ; 
and  also  before  thee,  0  King,  have  I  done  no  hurt." 
He  was  upright  before  God  and  man.  But  that 
very  thing  made  him  the  more  hateful  to  those 
mean  hypocritical  office-seekers  and  court  flatterers. 
When  the  king  found  that  Daniel  was  unhurt, 
''  Then  was  the  king  exceeding  glad  for  him,  and 
commanded  that  they  should  take  Daniel  up  out 
of  the  den.  So  Daniel  was  taken  up  out  of  the  den, 
and  no  manner  of  hurt  was  found  upon  him,  because 
he  believed  in  his  God.  And  the  king  commanded, 
and  -  they  brought  those  men  who  had  accused 
Daniel,  and  they  cast  them  into  the  den  of  lions, 
them,  their  children,  and  their  wives ;  and  the  lions 
had  the  mastery  of  them,  and  broke  all  their  bones 
in  pieces  or  ever  they  came  at  the  bottom  of  the 
den."  This  is  only  one  out  of  many  warnings  to 
which  sinners,  especially  office-seeking  sinners, 
would  do  well  to  take  heed.  There  is  no  help  for 
them  in  the  lions'  den  ;  no  angel  there  to  shut  the 
mouths  of  the  lions  when  such  men  are  in  the  den. 
But  the  holy,  the  believing,  and  courageous  Daniel, 
was  as  safe  there  as  he  was  when  praying  in  his 
chamber.  In  fact,  the  lions'  den  became  a  prajing 
chamber  as  soon  as  Daniel  was  cast  into  it ;  and 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  211 

these  savage  creatures,  the  lions,  were  more  affected 
hy  Daniel's  prayers  than  were  the  still  more  savage 
creatures,  the  office-seekers.  God  saj^s  :  "  I  will  that 
men  praj^  everywhere  ;"  and  the  possibilit}^  of  doing 
so  cannot  be  doubted,  when  we  remember  that 
Jonah  prayed  in  the  whale's  belly,  and  Daniel  in 
the  lion's  den. — 

"From  every  stormy  wind  that  blows, 
From  every  swelHng  tide  of  woes, 
There  is  a  calm,  a  sure  retreat ; 
'Tis  found  beneath  the  mercy-seat." 


"  Ah  !  whither  could  we  flee  for  aid. 
When  tempted,  desolate,  dismayed  ? 
Or  how  the  hosts  of  hell  defeat. 
Had  suffering  saints  no  mercy-seat? 

"Jesus,  thou  sov'reign  Lord  of  all, — 

The  same  through  one  eternal  day, — 
Attend  thy  feeblest  foll'wer's  call, 

And  0,  instruct  us  how  to  pray ! 
Pour  out  the  supplicating  grace. 
And  stir  us  up  to  seek  thy  face." 

"  Come  in  thy  pleading  Spirit  down 

To  us  who  for  thy  coming  stay ; 

Of  all  thy  gifts  we  ask  but  one, — 

We  ask  the  constant  power  to  pray: 
Indulge  us,  Lord,  in  this  request. 
Thou  canst  not  then  deny  the  rest." 

And  help  us  to  add  to  our  faith  courage.  Make 
us,  like  thy  servants  of  old,  "very  courageous." 

A  few  additional  remarks,  and  we  will  take  our 
leave  of  these  heroes.     First:  the  noble  acts  by 


212  POAVER   WITH   GOD   AND    WITH   MEN. 

which  they  achieved  such  glorious  victories  were 
voluTitary  acts,  as  are  all  such  acts.  Before  being 
cast  into  the  furnace  and  the  den,  they  were  not 
subjected  to  violence  of  any  kind,  either  by  God  or 
man.  God  promised  and  commanded,  and  gave  the 
necessary  grace,  on  the  one  hand  ;  while  man  com- 
manded, promised,  and  threatened,  on  the  other. 
That  was  all.  But  these  men  disregarded  the 
threatenings,  and  disobeyed  the  commands  of  men, 
while  they  believed  the  promises  and  obeyed  the 
commands  of  God.  That  was  all.  Second :  Shad- 
rach  and  his  noble  companions  could  have  bowed 
with  the  multitude  before  the  image,  just  as  easy  as 
turn  their  hand ;  and  with  equal  ease  Daniel  could 
have  suspended  his  daily  devotions  ;  but  if  they  had, 
they  would  have  lost  their  jDower  for  good ;  like 
Sampson,  they  would  have  been  shorn  of  their 
strength  instantly ;  they  would  have  been  as  power- 
less as  other  sinners.  But,  third;  they  added  to 
their  faith  courage,  adequate  to  the  emergency,  and 
thus  retaining  their  strength,  they  vanquished  their 
enemies,  God  was  glorified,  their  strength  was  re- 
newed, and  they  went  on  from  conquest  to  conquest, 
rejoicing  in  the  Lord  and  joying  in  the  God  of  their 
salvation. 

Now,  I  maintain  that  this  is  the  way,  the  only 
way,  in  which  moral  power  is  retained  and  in- 
creased. It  is  common  to  talk  about  great  men  as 
though  they  rose  by  chance,  by  a  happy  turn  of  the 
wheel  of  fortune.  No  such  thing.  I  admit  that 
some  men  rise  like  flood  wood,  but  they  fall  with 
the   receding  tide   as   fast   as   they   rose.     Or   by 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  213 

cunning  and  wickedness  they  rise  like  Haman,  and 
like  Haman  they  fall.  They  build  upon  the  sand, 
and  for  awhile  they  may  glitter  in  the  sunbeams, 
but  by  and  by,  the  rain  descends,  the  floods  come, 
and  the  winds  blow,  and  their  building  falls,  and 
great  is  the  fall  thereof;  while  they,  themselves, 
are  like  the  chaff  which  the  wind  driveth  away. 
Not  so,  men  who  are  truly  great :  they  rise  in 
spite  of  winds  and  tides.  They  rise  from  their 
fallen  state  by  faith  in  Jesus,  and  by  adding 
courage  to  this  faith  they  continue  to  rise  despite 
the  opposing  powers  of  earth  and  hell.  See  there, 
that  blustering  Philistine,  Goliath  of  Gath.  He 
has  a  helmet  of  brass  upon  his  head ;  his  coat 
of  mail  weighs  five  thousand  shekels  of  brass ; 
he  has  greaves  of  brass  upon  his  legs,  and  a  target 
of  brass  between  his  shoulders ;  the  staff  of  his 
spear  is  like  a  weaver's  beam,  and  his  spear's  head 
weighs,  six  hundred  shekels  of  iron.  Hark  how 
he  blusters  and  shouts !  "  I  defy  the  armies  of 
Israel  this  day,  give  me  a  man  that  we  may  fight 
together."  0!  bless  me!  His  appearance  and  his 
words  are  alike  awful.  Hence  "  when  Saul  and 
all  Israel  heard  those  words  of  the  Philistine,  the}*" 
were  disma3^ed,  and  greatly  afraid."  And  who 
would  not  be  afraid  ?  I  will  tell  you.  He  who 
has  faith  in  God,  and  who  adds  to  that  faith 
courage  adequate  to  the  occasion.  He,  and  he 
only,  will  not  be  afraid.  And  just  such  a  man 
God  has  prepared  for  the  emergency.  See !  there 
he  comes,  a  mere  stripling,  a  ruddy  youth.  "  What 
shall  be  done,"  inquired  the  3^outh,  •'  to   the  man 


214      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

that  killeth  this  Philistine,  and  taketh  away  the 
reproach  from  Israel?  for  who  is  this  uncircum- 
cised  Philistine,  that  he  should  defy  the  armies 
of  the  living  God."  Well  said,  David.  That  is 
a  new  idea ;  it  is  against  God  that  this  uncircum- 
cised  Philistine  hurls  his  threats.  This  idea  had 
not  occurred  to  the  people:  hence,  ''all  the  men 
of  Israel,  when  they  saw  the  man,  fled  from  him, 
and  were  sore  afraid."  And,  poor  frighted  crea- 
tures, they  do  not  get  the  grand  idea  even  now. 
Hence,  "  Eliab's  anger  was  kindled  against  David, 
and  he  said,  Why  comest  thou  down  hither?  and 
with  whom  hast  thou  left  those  few  sheep  in  the 
wilderness  ?  I  know  thy  pride,  and  the  naughtiness 
of  thine  heart ;  for  thou  art  come  down  that  thou 
mightest  see  the  battle."  The  battle!  My  dear 
sir,  there  is  no  battle !  with  what  face  ciin  you 
talk  about  a  battle  when  you  are  all  fleeing,  being 
terror-stricken  b}^  the  very  sight  of  the  giant  of 
Gath  ?  Fleeing,  not  fighting,  is  your  present  polic}^ 
Truly  it  is  with  a  poor  grace  that  such  men  talk 
about  a  battle.  But  it  is  just  such  men  who  do 
talk  and  bluster,  and  say  all  manner  of  evil  against 
men  of  real  worth.  Saul,  too,  tried  to  dissuade 
the  youth  from  such  a  boki  undertaking.  But 
David  said  to  Saul,  "  Let  no  man's  heart  fail 
because  of  him ;  th}"  servant  will  go  and  fight 
with  the  Philistine."  When  Saul  further  talked 
about  David's  youth,  and  about  the  marvellous 
prowess  of  the  Philistine,  David  replied,  "  Th}^  ser- 
vant kept  his  father's  sheep,  and  there  came  a 
lion,    and    a  bear,    and   took   a   lamb   out   of  the 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  215 

flock :  and  I  went  out  after  him  and  smote  him,  and 
delivered  it  out  of  his  mouth :  and  when  he  arose 
against  me,  I  caught  him  by  his  beard,  and  smote 
him,  and  slew  him.  Thy  servant  slew  both  the 
lion  and  the  bear:  and  this  uncircumcised  Philis- 
tine shall  be  as  one  of  them,  seeing  he  hath  defied 
the  armies  of  the  living  God.  David  said,  more- 
over, The  Lord  that  delivered  me  out  of  the  paw 
of  the  lion,  and  out  the  paw  of  the  bear,  he  will 
deliver  me  out  of  the  hand  of  this  Philistine. 
And  Saul  said  unto  David,  Go,  and  the  Lord  be 
with  thee."  Now  here  is  genuine  courage;  no 
fanaticism,  no  foolish  temerity,  but  true  intelligent 
courage.  And  Saul  caught  the  grand  idea,  and 
so  did  others,  doubtless,  and  it  put  new  life  in 
them.  God  having  thus  prepared  his  man  for 
the  emergency,  he  went  forth  with  his  staff, 
his  scrip,  his  sling  and  his  stone,  saying  as  he 
met  the  boasting  Philistine,  "  This  day  will  the  Lord 
deliver  thee  unto  mine  hands  ;  and  I  will  smite 
thee,  and  take  thine  head  from  thee ;  and  will 
give  the  carcasses  of  the  host  of  the  Philistines 
this  day  unto  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  to  the 
wild  beasts  of  the  earth:  that  all  the  earth  may 
know  that  there  is  a  God  in  Israel.  And  all 
this  assembly  shall  know  that  the  Lord  saveth 
not  with  sword  and  spear:  for  the  battle  is  the 
Lord's,  and  he  will  give  you  unto  our  hands." 
The  next  moment  the  giant  lay  dead  at  David's 
feet.  *'  So  David  prevailed  over  the  Philistine  with 
a  sling  and  with  a  stone,  and  smote  the  Philistine 
and  slew  him ;  but  there  was  no  sword  in  the 


216      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

hand  of  David."  But  the  sword  of  the  giant  was 
now  David's  sword,  and  with  that  he  cut  off  the 
giant's  head.  Thus  it  is  that  God  transfers  the 
power  of  the  wicked  into  the  hands  of  men  who 
have  faith  and  courage,  not  into  the  hands  of 
unbelieving  cowards.  No,  "  to  him  that  hath  shall 
be  given ;  and  from  him  that  hath  not  shall  be 
taken  away  even  that  which  he  hath." 

Here  again,  the  faith  and  courage  of  a  single  man, 
saves  a  nation  from  ruin,  and  with  it  the  church  of 
God ;  while  their  enemies,  their  boasting  and  almost 
triumphant  enemies,  are  confounded,  routed  and 
slain.  And  herein  the  promise  of  God  is  fulfilled, 
''  One  of  you  shall  chase  a  thousand,  and  two  shall 
put  ten  thousand  to  flight."  Rest  assured  of  it, 
God's  promises  mean  something.  In  fact  they  "  are 
all  yea  and  amen  in  Christ  Jesus." 

It  is  only  necessary  to  remind  the  reader  that 
David  achieved  his  victories  in  precisely  the  same 
way  that  the  other  heroes,  whom  we  have  mentioned, 
achieved  their  victories.  He  could  have  allowed 
the  lion  and  the  bear  to  have  carried  off  the  lambs 
and  the  sheep  unheeded.  And  he  could  have 
whined  and  scolded  like  his  brother  Eliab,  leaving 
the  church  and  nation  to  fall,  while,  like  others,  he 
fled  before  the  conquering  armies  of  the  Philistines. 
But  he  did  not.  On  the  contrary,  he  met  and  con- 
quered the  enemy,  and  saved  both  the  nation  and 
the  church.  And  he  did  so,  because  he  had  faith  in 
God,  and  added  to  that  faith  courage.  In  short,  we 
might  bring  forward,  in  support  of  this  position, 
every  real  hero  of  whom  we  know  any  thing,  and 


CHRISTIAN   PROGRESSION.  217 

show  that  the  same  faith  and  courage,  were  the 
mighty,  the  all-sufficient  forces  by  which  they  were 
moved  to  deeds  of  daring  and  conquest.  They  were 
not  mere  machines,  no,  they  were  moral  heroes ; 
and  they  were  so,  because  they  had  faith  in  God, 
and  added  to  that  faith  courage.  In  the  face  of  his 
enemies,  who  included  almost  the  entire  world, 
Luther  published  his  ninet^^-five  theses,  and  nailed 
them  to  the  very  door  of  the  church  of  Rome,  with 
which  he  thus  joined  issue  defiant  of  all  consequen- 
ces. At  another  time,  when  that  same  Rome,  to  all 
human  appearance,  had  shut  him  in  on  every  side, 
and  threatened  him  with  speedy  destruction,  he  ex- 
claimed, ''  Living  I  will  be  her  enemy,  and  dying  I 
will  be  her  death."  Nor  were  they  vain  words. 
Living  he  was  her  enemy,  her  conquering  enemy, 
nor  did  she  kill  him  either,  for  he  died  in  peace. 
And  at  this  very  day  that  same  Rome  is  reeling  to 
her  fall  under  the  mighty  blows  of  his  faith  and 
courage.  Zwingle  too,  actuated  by  the  same  faith 
and  courage,  published  his  sixt^^-seven  theses  in 
Switzerland  shortly  after  Luther  published  his 
ninety-five  in  Germany.  And  having  challenged 
the  champions  of  Rome  to  meet  him  in  Zurich,  he 
stood  up  in  their  midst  and  said,  "I  have  preached 
that  salvation  is  found  alone  in  Jesus  Christ,  and 
on  account  of  this  assertion  I  have  been  designated, 
throughout  all   Switzerland,   a  heretic,  a  seducer, 

and  a  rebel." "Now,  therefore,  in 

the  name   of  God,  I   make  my   appearance  here." 

"If  there  is  any  one  present  who  has  any 

thing  to  say,  let  him  come  forward." "I 

19 


218      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

implore  all  those  who  have  accused  me,  and  I  know 
that  in  this  hall  there  are  many  such,  to  come  for- 
ward and  answer  me,  for  the  love  of  the  truth." 
In  the  presence  of  this  valiant  soldier  of  the  cross 
the  enemies  of  the  gospel  were  frighted  into  pro- 
found silence,  no  one  daring  to  accept  the  challenge. 
In  view  of  this,  says  D'Aubigne,  "the  counsel  de- 
clared that  Master  Ulrich  Zwingle,  not  having  been 
answered  by  any  one  person,  would  continue  to 
preach  the  holy  gospel,  and  that  all  the  other 
priests  of  the  canton  should  only  be  allowed  to 
teach  those  things  which  they  are  able  to  establish 
by  reference  to  the  Holy  Scrij^tures."  On  hearing 
this  Zwingle  exclaimed,  "  Praise  be  to  God,  who 
desires  his  holy  word  to  rule  and  reign  both  in 
heaven  and  upon  earth."  Writhing  under  these 
killing  blows  of  the  courageous  reformer,  an  advo- 
cate of  poper}^,  one  Faber,  was  at  length  moved  to 
say,  "  The  theses  of  Master  Ulrich  are  contrary  to 
the  honor  of  the  church  and  the  doctrine  of  Christ, 
and  I  will  prove  it."  "Do  so,"  replied  Zwingle. 
But  Faber,  conscious  of  his  inability  to  do  so,  re- 
fused to  offer  his  proof,  save  in  Paris,  Cologne,  or 
Friburg.  To  this  Zwingle  replied,  "  I  desire  no 
other  judge  but  the  gospel."  "The  gospel,"  said 
Faber,  "always  the  gospel.  It  would  be  possible 
to  live  in  a  holy  manner,  in  peace  and  charity,  even 
although  there  were  no  gospel."  In  these  brief 
utterances  of  Zwingle  on  the  one  side,  and  those 
of  Faber  on  the  other,  you  have  the  sum  of  all  reli- 
gious truth,  and  the  sum  of  all  religious  error. 
"  Salvation  is  found  alone  in  Jesus  Christ."     "  The 


CHRISTIAN   PROGRESSION.  219 

gospel,  the  gospel,  nothing  but  the  gospel."  "I 
desire  no  other  judge  but  the  gospel."  This  is 
Zwingle's  position.  "  It  would  be  possible  to  live 
in  a  holy  manner,  in  peace  and  charit}',  even  if  there 
were  no  gospel."  This  is  Faber's  position.  We 
could  be  holy,  peaceful,  and  loving,  without  the  gos- 
pel, and,  consequently,  without  Jesus  Christ.  This 
is  R5raanism,  this  is  Deism,  this  is  infidelit}^ :  aj^e, 
and  this  same  thing,  this  sum  of  all  religious  error, 
is  still  very  prevalent,  and  very  popular :  only  it  is 
now  called  natural  theology,  natural  religion,  natu- 
ral and  moral  philosophy ;  innate  ideas,  intuitive 
knowledge,  necessary  intuitions,  by  which  we  have, 
or  may  have,  a  knowledge  of  God,  of  morals,  of  duty 
and  accountability,  and  of  a  future  retribution.  And 
to  convince  us  of  the  truth  of  all  this,  we  are  told 
wonderful  things  about  conscience ;  and  amongst 
other  things-,  that  it  is  an  infallible  guide,  more  re- 
liable than  the  dictum  of  any  prophet  or  seer.  Kor 
is  there  any  remedy  for  these  errors  but  that  wnich 
was  employed  by  those  great  reformers,  those  men 
of  faith  and  courage  whom  we  have  noticed.  True 
to  these  great  principles  this  same  Ulrich  Zwingle 
aimed  at  nothing  less  than  sweeping  out  of  the 
church  everj^  human  invention,  all  but  Jesus  and 
his  gospel.  Hence,  assisted  by  faithful  colleagues, 
such  as  Oswald  Myconius,  and  Leo  Judas,  he,  in 
1525,  restored  to  the  church  the  Lord's  Supper, 
and  caused  it  to  be  administered  with  primitive 
simplicity.  The  supper  was  thus  administered  in 
Zurich,  for  the  first  time,  on  Holy  Thursday,  Pas- 
sion  Friday,  and  Easter  Sundaj^      "The   people 


220  POWER   "WITH   GOD    AND   WITH    MEN. 

knelt  down  on  their  knees,"  says  D'Aubigne,  "  the 
bread  was  served  round  in  large  covers  or  dishes 
of  wood,  and  every  one  broke  off  a  morsel  of  it ; 
afterwards  the  wine  followed  in  wooden  goblets." 
What  a  glorious  scene  was  witnessed  in  Zurich  on 
these  three  da3^s.  The  people  crowded  to  their 
places  at  the  feast,  and  blessed  the  founder's  ^ame. 
As  in  Samaria  of  old,  when  Philip  preached  the 
gospel  there,  so  in  Zurich,  "  there  was  great  joy  in 
that  city."  Nor  did  the  good  effect's  end  with  the 
holy  exercises  of  these  da3^s.  "  Peace  now  dwells 
in  our  city,"  said  Zwingle,  soon  after,  "among  us 
there  are  no  longer  witnessed  scenes  of  dissimula- 
tion, dissension,  env}^,  or  quarrelling.  Whence  can 
have  proceeded  an  agreement  so  general,  if  it  be 
not  from  the  Lord,  and  in  consequence  of  the  fact 
that  the  doctrine  which  we  proclaim  assures  to  us 
a  state  of  innocence  and  peace." 

But  this  glorious  reformation  was  not  brought 
about  without  faith  and  courage  on  the  part  of  these 
noble  reformers.  Indeed,  the  Swiss  reformers, 
under  the  noble  leadership  of  Zwingle,  went  even 
farther  than  did  Luther.  They  not  only  swept 
away  transuhstantiation,  but  also  consubstantiation, 
together  with  numerous  traditions  and  ceremonies 
of  human  invention,  by  which  the  word  of  God  was 
made  of  none  effect.  And  in  this  they  were 
followed  by  John  Calvin,  and  also,  by  the  Scotch 
reformers,  Knox  and  Walsh.  Hence  it  is,  that  the 
Presbyterian  Church  is  freer  from  human  inven- 
tions than  the  Church  of  England  is,  or  ever  has 
been.     And  for  this  they  are  indebted,  under  God, 


CHRISTIAN    PROaRESSION.  221 

to  the  courage  and  fidelity  of  the  Swiss  reformers, 
and  specially  to  their  noble  leader  Zwingie.  Had  it 
not  been  for  his  intelligent  courage  and  fidelity,  the 
Presbyterian  Church  might  have  been  as  zealous  in 
the  advocacy  of  7Htualism  and  other  human  inven- 
tions to-day,  as  is  the  Church  of  England.  0  how 
much  good  may  be  done  bj^  the  faith,  courage,  and 
fidelity  of  a  single  man ! 

In  conclusion,  then,  let  it  be  remembered  that 
this  Christian  courage  can  only  exist  in  connection 
with  Christian  faith,  the  faith  that  justifies  the  peni- 
tent sinner,  for  it  is  to  this  faith  that  this  courage  is 
added.  Without  this  faith  there  cannot  be  this  cour- 
age, and  without  this  courage  there  can  be  no  pro- 
gressio7i,  and  where  there  is  no  progression,  there 
must  be  retrogression,  there  being  no  medium.  In 
support  of  this  position,  I  again  appeal  to  the  facts 
of  history  and  experience,  and  to  the  plain  word 
of  God.  You  cannot  point  to  a  single  instance  of 
reformation  and  pr-ogression  that  was  not  in  connec- 
tion with  the  faith,  aye,  and  in  proportion  to,  the 
faith  and  courage  of  the  reformers.  O  for  more 
such  reformers  I  Let  no  one  suppose  that  they  are 
no  longer  needed — such  a  supposition  is  a  grand 
mistake — they  are  always  needed.  And  to-day  the 
Luthers,  the  Zwingles,  the  Latimers,  the  Ridleys, 
the  Knoxes,  the  Walshes,  the  Whitefields,  and  the 
Wesleys,  are  needed,  probably  as  much  as  they 
were  in  the  sixteenth  and  eighteenth  centuries. 
But  alas  !  the  pusillanimous  souls  of  the  present  day 
are  in  the  habit  of  apologizing  for  their  time-serv- 
ing cowardice  by  assuming  that  they  are  more  re- 
19* 


222  POWER    WITH   GOD    AND  WITH   MEN. 

fined  than  the  rough  reformers  of  those  days.  As 
illustrative  of  this  I  give  the  following.  Convers- 
ing with  a  certain  gentleman  in  the  city  of ,  on 

this  very  subject,  only  a  few  days  ago,  he  told  me 
the  following  incident.  Conversing  with  a  well- 
known  friend,  that  friend  said  to  him,  "  I  wish  you 
had  heard  our  minister  last  Sunday  evening ;  the 
sermon  was  so  fine,  there  was  not  a  coarse  word 
in  it,  he  was  too  refined  for  that,  he  never  used  the 
word  hell  or  devil  once." — Talk  about  such  men 
reforming  the  church  and  the  world !  No  such 
thing ;  they  are  destitute  of  the  reforming  power ; 
they  have  neither  faith  nor  courage ;  and  God  can- 
not exert  his  power  through  them  ;  there  is  a  moral 
obstruction  in  the  way  of  his  doing  so ;  their 
thoughts  are  not  God's  thoughts,  neither  are  their 
ways  God's  ways.  They  even  claim  to  be  more  re- 
fined than  the  Holy  Spirit,  so  much  so,  that  they 
would  not  use  the  language  that  He  uses ;  no,  they 
would  not  offend  the  refined  taste  of  their  elite  audi- 
ence ;  hence,  they  "  never  use  the  word  hell  or  devil 
once."  About  the  time  that  God  raised  up  White- 
field  and  the  Wesleys,  a  certain  minister,  of  great 
refinement  of  course,  venturing,  on  one  occasion,  to 
warn  outbreaking  sinners,  said,  "If  you  do  not  re- 
form, you  will  go  to  a  place  that  I  will  not  name 
before  this  respectable  audience."  And  this  was 
going  much  farther  than  many  popular  ministers 
would  dare  to  go. — Gentlemen,  allow  a  plain  man 
to  ask  you  a  few  plain  questions.  Do  you  believe 
that  sinners,  open,  daring  sinners,  are  in  danger  of 
going  to  hell  ?     Ho  you  believe  that  they  are  in  the 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  223 

direct  road  to  hell  ?  that  except  they  repent  they 
shall  perish?  that  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be 
damned  ?  that  except  they  are  born  again  they  can- 
not see  the  kingdom  of  God  ?  If  so,  why  not  lift 
up  your  warning  voice  and  announce  to  them  the 
startling  fact :  will  they  in  the  day  of  judgment 
thank  you  for  allowing  them  to  run  the  whole  way 
to  hell  unwarned,  rather  than  offend  them  by  an- 
nouncing God's  truth,  and  faithfully  warning  them 
to  flee  "  from  the  wrath  to  come  ?"  What  will  it 
profit  you,  though  you  should  gain  the  whole  world, 
if  you  save  neither  yourself  nor  those  who  hear  you, 
if  both  you  and  they  drop  into  hell  together  ?  O 
be  honest,  and,  to  this  end,  if  you  do  not  believe  the 
Bible,  say  so,  but  if  you  do,  then  declare  the  whole 
counsel  of  God,  alike  regardless  of  the  deceptive 
smiles,  and  the  threatening  frowns,  of  man  whose 
breath  is  in  his  nostrils.  And  if  you  have  neither 
faith  nor  courage,  cry  mightily  to  God,  and  never 
rest  till  you  have  both.  Nor  must  you  stop  here, 
but  proceed  at  once  to  make  the  next  addition,  in 
its  appropriate  place,  for  unless  you  do  so  you  can 
progress  no  further. 


CHAPTER  YII. 

Add  hnoioUdge — This  is  essential  to  the  development  of  the 
preceding  graces — How  these  graces  mutually  increase  each 
other — Luther,  Zwingle,  and  others,  are  produced  as  exam- 
ples— Consequences  of  not  adding  knowledge  are  specified, 
specially  in  the  case  of  Ministers. 

But  if  you  would  continue  to  progress,  add  to 
both  the  preceding,  knowledge.  Unless  you  in- 
crease in  knowledge,  how  can  either  your  faith  or 
your  courage  increase  ?  And  even  if  they  could 
increase  without  an  increase  of  knowledge,  how 
could  you  intelligently  direct  their  operations  ? 
Under  such  circumstances  your  faith,  no  doubt, 
would  degenerate  into  fanaticism,  and  your  courage 
into  rashness  and  foolhardiness,  especiallj^  if  your 
teachers  were  as  ignorant  as  yourself  And  it  is 
precisel}^  in  this  way,  if  I  mistake  not,  that  thou- 
sands have  become  raving  fanatics,  noisy  dream- 
ers ;  whereas,  had  they  increased  in  knowledge, 
they  would  have  increased  in  faith,  courage,  and 
usefulness.  Wisdom,  being  the  right  use  of  know- 
ledge, my  wisdom  cannot  exceed  my  knowledge  ; 
neither  can  my  faith,  for  I  cannot  believe  what  I 
do  not  know.  An  uncertain  knowledge,  if  there  be 
such  a  thing,  can  only  result  in  conjecture,  at  the 
best ;  it  cannot  result  in  faith,  properly  so  called. 
In  like  manner,  courage,  being  the  legitimate  ofT- 
224 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  225 

spring  of  faith,  and  also  faith's  armor-bearer,  it 
must,  of  course,  be  subject  to  the  same  limitation. 
Or,  as  I  said  before,  if  it  could  increase  without  an 
increase  of  knowledge,  how  could  it  operate  with- 
out a  corresponding  increase  of  knowledge  to  direct 
its  operations  ?  If  it  operate  at  all,  it  must,  as  I 
said  before,  result  in  blunder  and  disaster.  The 
fact  is,  courage,  like  love,  must  have  an  object.  As 
I  cannot  love  what  does  not  exist,  neither  can  my 
courage  lead  me  to  the  conquest  of  an  enemy  that 
does  not  exist,  or  of  whose  existence  I  am  entirely 
ignorant :  it  cannot  carry  me  over  a  mountain  or 
river  that  does  not  exist,  or  of  which  I  am  as  yet 
entirely  ignorant.  If  I  pass  over  such  a  mountain 
or  river,  while  ignorant  thereof,  it  must  be  by 
chance,  or  b}^  some  other  power,  not  by  courage. 
I  may  have  power  to  love  that  which  does  not  exist, 
or  of  which  I  am  ignorant,  but  as  yet  I  do  not  ac- 
tually love  it.  In  like  manner,  I  may  have  power 
courageously  to  attack  and  conquer  an  enemy  that 
does  not  3^et  exist,  or  of  which  I  am  ignorant ;  but 
the  courage  cannot  actually  exist  till  the  enemy 
exists  and  is  known  as  such.  I  say  as  such,  for  I 
cannot  courageously  attack  as  an  enemy,  though  he 
is  such,  one  whom,  in  my  ignorance,  I  still  recog- 
nize to  be  a  friend.  From  these  considerations,  and 
from  many  others  that  might  be  adduced,  it  is,  we 
think,  quite  evident,  that  my  faith,  love,  and  cour- 
age, cannot  exist  or  increase  beyond  the  limit  of 
my  knowledge,  though  they  may  come  far  short  of 
it,  which  is  always  criminal. 

Courage  and   knowledge  mutually  support  and 


226      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

increase  each  other.  For  instance :  if  I  put  forth 
noMe  deeds  of  courage,  I  am  thus  made  to  know, 
as  I  otherwise  could  not  have  known,  what  courage 
can  do — what  I  can  do — thus  my  knowledge  is  in- 
creased. And  this  knowledge  leads  to  other  noble 
deeds,  that  I  have  supposed  to  be  impossible. 
Hence,  as  long  as  I  make  a  good  use  of  the  in- 
crease of  either  one,  the  increase  of  that  one  will 
lead  to  the  increase  of  the  other  ;  and  thus  the 
mutual  increase  continues.  It  is  thus  that  some 
men  can  do  what  others  conceive  to  be  impossible. 
And  when  a  mishap  occurs,  it  is  because  knowledge 
and  courage  are  not  reciprocal  in  proportion  and 
operation.  It  is  equally  clear,  that  knowledge  with- 
out courage  is  useless,  and  even  pernicious.  For 
instance :  when  Luther  obtained  a  knowledge  of 
the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith,  what  would 
that  knowledge  have  accomplished  if  he  had  not 
had  courage  to  embrace  it  for  hirdself,  and  proclaim 
it  to  others,  defiant  of  the  Koman  Pontiff,  Charles 
the  Fifth,  and  all  their  combined  forces  ?  To  this 
question  there  is  but  one  answer.  It  would  simply 
have  increased  his  guilt.  But  Luther  added  cour- 
age to  his  faith,  and  thus  conquered  the  Pope,  the 
Emperor,  the  world,  and  the  devil,  and  saved  him- 
self and  multitudes  of  others;  3^ea,  though  dead, 
he  3^et  speaketh.  The  very  same  did  Zwingle  ;  and 
every  advance  step  that  these  noble  men  took  in 
their  illustrious  career,  demanded  the  mutual  action 
of  their  faith,  courage,  and  knowledge.  For  in- 
stance: when  the  contest  was  raging  with  regard  to 
the  Sacrament   of  the  Supper — Rome  contending 


CHRISTIAN   PROGRESSION.  227 

for  the  dogma  of  Transubstantiation,  attempting 
to  support  it  by  the  words,  "  This  is  my  body" — 
Zwingle  examined  the  divine  teaching  on  this  sub- 
ject in  the  Hebrew  and  Greelv.  The  result  was,  a 
very  important  increase  of  knowledge  ;  and  to  this 
knowledge  he  added  courage.  Hence,  in  the  midst 
of  the  grand  council  in  Zurich,  he  announced  the 
startling  discovery,  viz.,  that  there  is  no  word  in 
the  Greek  language  but  mtt,  (is)  to  represent  the 
idea  signify,  and  that,  consequently,  it  is  used  in 
the  Greek  language  to  convey  this  idea.  In  sup- 
port of  this  position,  he  referred  to  Exod.  xii.  11, 
where  the  seventy  use  it  for  this  purpose  in  trans- 
lating the  words,  "  Ye  shall  eat  it  in  haste  ;  it  is  the 
Lord's  passover."  Thus  guided  b}^  the  Hebrew  and 
Greek  texts,  by  the  obvious  sense  in  which  the 
seventy  used  the  word  esti ;  \)Y  the  common  con- 
sent of  all  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  text  in  Exodus ; 
not  that  the  lamb  was  the  Lord's  passover,  but 
that  it  signified  his  passing  over  the  Israelites 
when  he  smote  the  Egyptians.  And  finally,  guided 
by  our  Lord's  comment  upon  his  own  words,  he  tri- 
umphantly proved  to  the  grand  council  that  the 
words,  "  This  is  my  body,"  "  This  is  my  blood," 
mean,  this  signifies  my  body,  this  signifies  my 
blood,  as  the  lamb  signified  his  passage  over  the 
Israelites  when  he  slew  the  Egj'ptians.  Zwingle, 
having  thus  added  knowledge,  he  added  corres- 
ponding courage,  and  demanded  that  the  mass  and 
transubstantiation  should  be  swept  out  of  the 
church,  together  with  consubstantiation,  and  that 
the  sacrament  of  the  supper  should  take  the  place 


228  POWER   WITH    GOD   AND    WITH    MEN. 

of  these  human  inventions,  and  be  administered 
according  to  the  original  institution.  "And  it  was 
so."  For,  as  D'Aubigne  states,  "The  altars  were 
taken  away,  and  simple  tables,  covered  with  the 
bread  and  wine  of  the  eucharist,  were  substituted 
in  their  place,  while  an  attentive  crowd  eagerly 
sought  to  find  a  place  at  these  tables.  A  very 
solemn  aspect  was  presented  by  the  action  of  this 
multitude."  In  this  waj^  was  the  Lord's  Supper 
restored  to  his  church  in  Switzerland.  And  this 
holy  feast,  the  first  after  many  long  ages  of  dark- 
ness and  sacrilegious  fraud,  lasted  three  days  in 
Zurich,  *'  and  there  was  great  joy  in  that  city." 
The  feast  was  truly  a  eucharistic  feast.^ 

But  what  we  more  especially  desire  to  be  noticed, 
is  the  important  fact  that  this  victory  on  behalf  of 
God's  church  and  cause,  was  not  achieved  without 
courage.  When  the  change  was  proposed,  strong 
men  trembled,  and  apprehended  the  most  awful 
consequences.  Thus  to  sweep  away,  at  a  stroke, 
the  holy  mass,  the  transubstantiated  bod}^,  blood, 
soul,  and  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ,  together  with 
the  long-established  faith  and  customs  of  the 
church,  which,  to  the  eyes  of  hoary-headed  sages, 
appeared  gray  and  venerable  with  age,  was  an  act 
that  was  thought  to  be  as  daring  as  it  would  be 
disastrous.  But  Zwingle  and  his  noble  colleagues 
were  undaunted,  and  fearlessly  did  that  very  thing 
which  so  much  frighted  their  neighbors,  and  woke  the 
thunders  of  the  Vatican,  causing  them  to  roll  down 
from  the  seven  hills  with  sevenfold  fury ;  and  these 
thunders  were  to  exhaust  all  their  fury  upon  Zwin- 


CHRISTIAN   PROGRESSION  229 

gle  and  the  men  who  united  with  him  in  this  work 
of  reformation.  But,  defiant  of  all  that  men  could 
say  or  do,  Zwingle  said  it  shall  be  so  ;  "  and  it 
was  so  "  Now,  how  did  those  men  perform  those 
noble  acts,  which  resulted  in  this  glorious  reforma- 
tion ?  I  answer,  hy  addmg  to  their  faith  couro<je, 
and  to  their  courage  knowledge.  Their  faith,  their 
courage,  and  their  knowledge,  wrought  together, 
mutually  supporting  and  increasing  each  other. 
Zwingle  was  at  Zurich,  and  Erasmus  was  at  Bazil. 
Zwingle  did  much,  Erasmus  did  little — perhaps  1 
might  say,  nothing — in  the  work  of  the  great 
reformation.  In  this  work,  Zwingle  was  a  power, 
Elrasmus  perfect  weakness.  Why?  Did  Zwingle 
understand  the  Hebrew  and  the  Greek  lano^uao^es 
better  than  Erasmus  ?  No.  Did  not  Erasmus 
know,  as  well  as  Zwingle,  the  meaning  of  the  word 
sGti,  in  the  passages  referred  to  ?  Doubtless.  Did 
he  not  know,  as  well  as  Zwingle,  that  transubstan- 
tiation  was  a  human  invention,  involving  contra- 
diction and  absolute  impossibility?  He  did.  Why, 
then,  did  he  not  say  and  do  as  did  Zwingle  ?  Why 
did  he  not  unite  with  the  Swiss  and  German  re- 
formers in  their  noble  efforts  to  beat  back  the 
powers  of  darkness,  and  deliver  the  people  from 
tj'ranny  here,  and  destruction  hereafter  ?  Why  did 
he  not  on  this  occasion  come  up  "to  the  help  of 
the  Lord  against  the  mighty?"  I  answer,  simply 
because  he  did  not  add  courage.  He  courted  the 
smiles,  and  feared  the  frowns  of  Rome,  while  Zwin- 
gle and  the  other  reformers  did  neither.    Moreover, 

while  Erasmus  added  the  knowledge  of  letters,  he 
20 


230  POWER   WITH   GOD    AND   WITH    MEN. 

did  not  add  the  knowledge  of  God  and  the  things 
of  God.  His  faith,  his  knowledge,  and  his  courage, 
did  not  act  in  harmony — they  did  not  mutually 
support  and  increase  each  other?  Hence,  tiiere  was 
no  Christian  progression,  either  in  him,  or  jji^oduced 
by  him.  This  progression  is  only  found  where  men 
add  to  their  faith  courage,  and  to  courage  know- 
ledge. In  short,  it  is  simply  impossible  to  progress 
save  in  that  way  that  God  has  marked  out  by  his 
servant  Peter.  And,  remember,  to  enter  upon  this 
way  you  must  be  justified  by  faith  ;  before  this,  no 
child  of  Adam  can  enter  upon  it.  And  when  you 
are  in  this  way,  you  must  progress  or  leave  it ;  and 
to  progress,  you  must  "  add  to  your  faith  courage, 
and  to  courage  knowledge" — "  grow  in  grace,  and 
in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ" — "  desiring  the  sincere  milk  of  the  word, 
that  ye  may  grow  thereby."  "For  the  soul  to  be 
without  knowledge  is  not  good  ;"  but  "  this  is  life 
eternal,  to  know  thee,  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus 
Christ  whom  thou  hast  sent."  For  want  of  ob- 
serving these  important  teachings  of  the  Holy 
Sj^irit,  there  are  ministers  who  could  have  preached 
better,  more  intelligently,  more  efficiently,  twenty 
years  ago,  than  they  can  to-day ;  though  they  still 
retain  sufficient  bodily  strength.  0,  what  have 
such  added  to  their  faith  during  those  long  and 
precious  years  of  opportunity  I  Surely,  these  things 
ought  not  so  to  be.  But  this  is  but  a  small  part 
of  the  evil  of  not  progressing. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

Add  temperance.     Erroneous  views  exposed,  and  the  meaning 
of  the  word  tyKpartia  given— Christian  temperance  is  dwelt 

upon  at  great  length,  and  its  nature  and  extent  specified 

Mr.  Wesley's  definition  and  views  of  temperance— Scripture 
teachings  on  this  subject — Erroneous  views  farther  exposed 
— Defects  of  modern  temperance  lectures,  and  temperance 
movements — It  was  by  not  adding  temperance  that  Solomon 
and  multitudes  of  others  were  ruined — It  was  by  not  adding 
temperance  that  the  primitive  churches  were  ruined  and 
the  dark  ages  brought  on — The  activity  essential  to  the 
Christian  character  will  lead  to  ruin  if  temperance  does  not 
keep  pace  with  it. 

And  having  progressed  thus  far,  if  3^011  would 
continue  to  progress,  3^ou  must  make  the  next  addi- 
tion just  here,  b}^  adding  to  j^our  knowledge  temper- 
ance. But  what  is  temperance  ?  In  these  da3-s  of 
temperance  movements,  temperance  lectures,  tem- 
perance papers,  temperance  societies,  temperance 
festivals,  temperance  lodges,  temperance  flags,  tem- 
perance passwords,  temperance  grips,  temperance 
signs,  temperance  songs,  temperance  leagues,  and 
temperance  laws;  some  ma3^  think  that  the  question 
is  a  ver3'  tame  one,  and  that  the  subject  is  alread3^ 
well  understood.  But,  alas !  we  fear  this  is  far 
from  being  the  case.  Indeed,  in  popular  phrase  it 
has   come  to  mean  no  more  than  total  abstinence 

231 


232  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH    MEN. 

from  intoxicating  drinks.  We  do  not  believe,  how- 
ever, that  it  ever  has  this  meaning,  and  we  know  it 
has  not  this  meaning  in  the  text  before  us ;  though 
we  are  perfectly  willing,  nay,  more,  very  desirous 
that  men  should  thus  abstain  from  such  drinks. 
But  God  never  commands  us  to  be  temperate  in 
what  is  positively  wrong ;  with  regard  to  •  such 
things  total  abstinence  is  always  the  law.  But 
temperance  is  enjoined  with  regard  to  such  things 
as  may  be  used,  but  are  liable  to  be  abused.  At 
best,  the  temperance  contended  for  by  temperance 
lectures,  and  temperance  societies,  makes  but  a 
small  part  of  Christian  temperance,  which  is  the 
temperance  enjoined  by  the  Apostles  In  the  passage 
under  consideration.  A  man  who  never  saw  strong 
drink  may  be  as  intemperate  as  Cain,  or  as  Judas 
was ;  and  if  he  should  die  in  his  sins,  may  become  as 
intemperate  as  the  devil  himself,  who  is  the  embodi- 
ment of  all  intemperance,  though  it  will  not  be 
claimed,  we  presume,  that  he  ever  drank  any 
spirituous  liquors.  It  follows,  that  one  may  resem- 
ble the  devil  in  badness,  and  yet,  never  be  guilt}^ 
of  the  intemperance  against  which  temperance  lec- 
tures declaim.  It  follows  too,  that  temperance 
societies,  so  called,  are  a  poor  substitute  for  the 
church  of  God,  and  temperance  lectures  a  poor 
substitute  for  the  gospel  ministry :  3^et  it  is  not  an 
uncommon  thing  for  men  who  have  been  solemnly 
consecrated  to  this  ministry,  to  leave  it  and  turn 
temperance  lecturers.  But  this,  alas !  is  only  one 
of  the  many  improvements  of  this  age  of  improve- 
ments ;  only  one  of  the  new  discoveries  for  which 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  233 

tliis/)ur  day  is  so  remarkable.  Let  it  be  remem- 
bered then,  that  one  may  be  a  thorough  temperance 
man,  according  to  modern  phrase,  and  yet  be  as 
bad  as  Cain,  or  Judas ;  and  even  resemble  the  devil 
himself  in  badness.  This  being  the  case  we  cannot 
believe  that  the  subject  of  temperance  is  sufficiently 
understood,  even  yet. 

But  the  question  still  recurs,  what  is  temperance  ? 
We  mean  what  is  that  temperance  which  the 
Apostle  exhorts  the  Christian  to  add  to  the  faith, 
courage,  and  knowledge  which  he  already  has? 
Certainly  it  cannot  be  the  mere  abstinence  from 
intoxicating  drinks ;  to  suppose  that  this  is  the 
temperance  here  enjoined,  is  to  suppose  that  a  man 
may  have  the  high  Christian  character  here  de- 
veloped by  the  Apostle,  before  he  is  thus  temperate  ; 
which  is  to  suppose  what  is  contradictory  and  im- 
possible. To  suppose  that  the  Apostle  exhorts 
such  a  Christian  to  add  this  kind  of  temperance  to 
his  faith,  courage,  and  advanced  Christian  know- 
ledge, is  absurd ;  for  a  man  cannot  have  any  of 
these  Christian  graces,  or  be  a  Christian  at  all, 
before  he  is  thus  temperate.  It  were  too  late,  then, 
for  the  Apostle  to  come  to  such  holy  persons  with 
such  an  exhortation.  Hence,  the  question  still 
recurs.  What  is  the  temperance  which  the  Apostle 
exhorts  the  Christian  to  add  to  the  bright  constella- 
tion of  graces  already  possessed  ?  To  answer  this 
question,  it  will  be  necessar}^  to  ascertain  the  mean- 
ing of  the  word  tyxpat^w,  for  this  is  the  word  here 
used  by  the  Apostle.  This  word,  says  Parkhurst, 
is  "  from  fyxpar*/,-,"  and  means  self-government 
20* 


234  POWER   WITH    GOD    AND    WITH   MEN. 

or  moderation  with  regard  to  sensual-pleasures, 
temperance,  continence."  In  proof  of  this  he  quotes 
several  texts,  and  amongst  the  rest  that  now  under 
consideration.  It  means,  says  Greenfield,  ''  modera- 
tion, continence,  self-control,  temperance ;"  not 
moderation  with  regard  to  what  is  absolutely  for- 
bidden, but  with  regard  to  what  is  allowable  to  a 
moderate  extent.  Self-government.  This  is  a  word 
of  more  extensive  signification ;  it  means  such  a 
control  of  all  inward  and  outward  action  as  pre- 
serves from  extremes  on  every  hand ;  such  a  control 
as  subjects  the  whole  man  to  the  will  of  God,  caus- 
ing all  his  powers  to  act  in  harmonj'^  with  God's  will 
as  revealed  in  his  word,  and  is  opposed  to  undue 
fasting  as  well  as  to  undue  eating.  Those  who  kill 
themselves  by  fasting,  and  those  who  kill  themselves 
by  eating  or  drinking,  are  alike  guilty  of  self-murder 
and  are  alike  intemperate.  There  are  many  killed 
by  intemperate  drinking,  but  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  a  still  greater  number  are  killed  by  intemperate 
eating,  while  others  are  killed  by  smoking ;  some 
are  killed  by  doing  nothing,  while  others  are  killed 
by  over  exertion  :  but  all  are  intemperate  ;  and  the 
remedy  for  all  these  evils,  and  a  thousand  others, 
is  that  here  prescribed  b}^  the  Apostle ;  add  temper- 
ance to  the  other  good  qualities  which  you  may 
possess.  Working,  resting,  sleeping,  waking,  eat- 
ing, drinking,  loving,  hating,  hoping,  fearing, 
saving,  spending,  giving,  receiving,  resisting,  yield- 
ing ;  all,  all  are  good,  when  in  liarmony  with  the 
divine  will ;  and  this  is  the  case  when  temperance 
has  her  perfect  work,  and  then  only.     "  Now  the 


CHRTSTIAN    PROGRESSION.  235 

Spirit  speaketh  expressl}^,  that  in  the  latter  times 
some  shall  depart  from  the  faith,  giving  heed  to 
seducing  spirits,  and  doctrines  of  devils;  speaking 
lies  in  hypocrisy,  having  their  conscience  seared 
with  a  hot  iron  ;  forbidding  to  marry,  and  comma?} cl- 
ing to  abstain  from  meats,  which  God  hath  created 
to  be  received  with  thanksgiving  of  them  which  be- 
lieve and  know  the  truth.  For  every  creature  of 
God  is  good,  and  nothing  to  be  refused,  if  it  be 
received  with  thanksgiving :  for  it  is  sanctified  by 
the  word  of  God,  and  prayer.  If  thou  put  the 
brethren  in  remembrance  of  these  things,  thou 
shalt  be  a  good  minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  nourished 
up  in  the  words  of  faith  and  of  good  doctrine, 
whereunto  thou  hast  attained.  But  refuse  profane 
and  old  wives'  fables,  and  exercise  thyself  unto 
godliness."  I  have  quoted  the  above  passage,  be- 
cause I  believe  it  develops  in  a  very  striking  man- 
ner the  meaning  of  the  word  under  consideration. 
Whoever  will  critically  examine  the  word,  or  care- 
fully notice  its  meaning  as  given  by  lexicographers, 
will  see,  I  have  no  doubt,  that  this  one  word  sanc- 
tions and  forbids,  all  that  is  sanctioned  and  for- 
bidden in  the  above  passage,  and  much  more.  The 
Pope  claims  to  be  very  temperate,  forsooth,  because 
he  forbids  what  God  has  commanded,  and  commands 
what  God  has  forbidden ;  but  by  so  doing  he  prac- 
tices and  promotes  intemperance,  not  temperance. 
But  instead  of  giving  such  teachers  credit  for  tem- 
perance, the  Spirit  charges  all  such  with  "  depart- 
ing from  the  faith,  giving  heed  to  seducing  spirits, 
and  doctrines  of  devils,"  and  "  profane  and  old  wives' 


236     POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

fables."  Mr.  Wesley's  definition  of  temperance  is 
in  his  characteristic  style,  laconic,  and  yet  compre- 
hensive and  forcible. — "  The  voluntarily  abstaining 
from  all  pleasure  that  does  not  lead  to  God." 
Among  all  our  temperance  lecturers  can  you  find 
one  who  ever  thought  of  such  a  definition  of  temper- 
ance as  that  here  given  ?  Nor  will  3^ou  find  in  all 
the  rules  of  our  temperance  societies  any  thing 
superior  to  the  following  from  the  sa,me  great 
teacher — ''Buying  or  selling  spirituous  liquors,  or 
drinking  them,  unless  in  cases  of  extreme  neces- 
sity." His  preaching,  too,  was  in  keeping  with 
this  : — Take  the  following  from  his  sermon  entitled 
"  The  use  of  money,"  and  discussed  under  the  fol- 
lowing three  heads,  viz. :  "  Gain  all  3^0 u  can." 
"Save  all  you  can."  "Give  all  you  can."  Under 
the  first  head  he  shows  that  we  may  not  gain  at  the 
expense  or  injury  of  others.  After  dealing  some 
heavy  blows  upon  doctors,  merchants,  gold-dealers 
and  others,  he  puts  his  whole  strength  to  it  and 
strikes  after  this  fashion  ; — "  Neither  may  we  gain 
by  hurting  our  neighbor  in  his  body.  Therefore 
we  may  not  sell  any  thing  which  tends  to  impair 
health.  Such  is,  eminently,  all  that  liquid  fire, 
commonly  called  drams,  or  spirituous  liquors.  It 
is  true  these  may  have  a  place  in  medicine,  they 
may  be  of  use  in  some  bodily  disorders ;  although 
there  would  rarely  be  occasion  for  them,  M^ere  it  not 
for  the  unskilfulness  of  the  practitioner.  Therefore 
such  as  prepare  and  sell  them  only  for  this  end, 
may  keep  their  conscience  clear.  But  who  are 
they?     Who  prepare  them  onl}^  for  this  end  ?     Do 


CHRISTIAN   PROGRESSION.  237 

you  know  ten  such  distillers  in  England?  Then 
excuse  these.  But  all  who  sell  them  in  the  common 
way,  to  any  that  will  buy,  are  poisoners  general. 
They  murder  his  majesty's  subjects  by  wholesale, 
neither  does  their  eye  pity  or  spare.  They  drive 
them  to  hell  like  sheep :  and  what  is  their  gain  ? 
Is  it  not  the  blood  of  these  men  ?  Who  then  would 
envy  their  large  estates  and  sumptuous  palaces  ? 
A  curse  is  in  the  midst  of  them:  the  curse  of  God 
cleaves  to  the  stones,  the  timber,  the  furniture  of 
them  !  The  curse  of  God  is  in  their  gardens,  their 
walks,  their  groves ;  a'  fire  that  burns  to  the  nether- 
most hell.  Blood,  blood  is  there  :  the  foundation, 
the  floor,  the  walls,  the  roof,  are  stained  with  blood. 
And  canst  thou  hope,  oh  thou  man  of  blood,  though 
thou  art  clothed  in  scarlet  and  fine  linen,  and  farest 
sumptuously  every  day ;  canst  thou  hope  to  deliver 
down  thy  fields  of  blood  to  the  third  generation? 
Not  so  ;  for  there  is  a  God  in  heaven :  therefore, 
thy  name  shall  soon  be  rooted  out.  Like  as  those 
whom  thou  hast  destroj-ed,  body  and  soul,  '  thy 
memorial  shall  perish  with  thee  I' "  In  a  word, 
*'  Gain  all  you  can,"  but  injure  no  man  in  body  or 
soul,  hold  sacred  all  his  interests,  for  time,  and  for 
eternity. 

The  next  proposition  in  this  good  old  temper- 
ance sermon  is,  "save  all  you  can."  Don't  waste 
any  thing  to  gratif}'^  the  flesh,  the  eye,  or  the  pride 
of  life ;  for  this  would  be  to  spend  this  "  precious 
talent,"  your  money,  to  increase  your  unholy 
passions.  "  And  why  should  3^ou  throw  away 
money  upon  your  children,  any  more  than  upon 


238  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH    MEN. 

yourself."  Neither  ''leave  it  to  them  to  throw 
away." "  How  amazing  then  is  the  infatua- 
tion of  those  parents  who  think  they  can  never 
leave  their  children  enough !  What !  cannot  you 
leave  them  enough  of  arrows,  firebrands,  and  death  ? 
Not  enough  of  foolish  and  hurtful  desires  ?  Not 
enough  of  pride,  lust,  ambition,  vanity?  Not 
enough  of  everlasting  burnings  1  Poor  wretch  I 
Thou  fearest  where  no  fear  is.  Surely  both  thou 
and  they,  when  ye  are  lifting  up  your  eyes  in  hell, 
will  have  enough  of  '  the  worm  that  never  dieth/ 
and  of  'the  fire  that  never  shall  be  quenched!'" 
"  Save  all  you  can,"  but  not  in  any  of  these  ways, 
this  is  not  to  save  but  to  destroy ;  this  is  the 
veriest  intemperance,  not  temperance.  Neither 
"  can  a  man  be  properly  said  to  save  any  thing, 
if  he  only  lays  it  up.  You  may  as  well  throw 
your  money  into  the  sea,  or  bury  it  in  the  earth. 
And  you  may  as  well  bury  it  in  the  earth,  as  in 
your  chest,  or  in  the  bank  of  England.  Not  to 
use,  is  efi'ectually  to  throw  it  away."  As  3'et  here 
is  no  temperance,  but  intemperance.  If  you  stop 
here  you  are  no  better  than  a  thief  or  a  robber ; 
you  rob  both  God  and  man  of  their  due.  What 
then  ?  Wh}^,  there  is  but  one  remedy ;  here  it  is, 
"  Give  all  you  can  ;"  not  to  build  monuments  to 
gratify  thy  vanity,  but  to  feed  and  clothe  the 
poor,  and  promote  the  cause  of  God  in  the  earth. 
Do  this,  or  thy  gaining  and  saving  are  the  veriest 
intemperance:  give,  give,  "or  as  the  Lord  liveth 
and  as  thy  soul  liveth,"  thou  art  undone :  to  gain 
and    save,    and    yet    not    give,   is   to   turn    these 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  239 

blessings  into  the  most  terrible  curses.  "  Waste 
nothing,"  says  the  holy  man.  "  Waste  nothing, 
living  or  dying,  on  sin  or  folly,  whether  for  yourself 
or  your  children ;  and  then,  give  all  you  can,  or, 
in  other  words,  give  all  you  have  to  God.  Do  not 
stint  yourself,  like  a  Jew  rather  than  a  Christian, 
to  this  or  that  proportion ;  render  unto  God,  not 
a  tenth,  not  a  third,  not  half,  but  all  that  is  God's, 
be  it  more  or  less."  "  No  more  sloth !"  he  exclaims 
again ;  "  whatsoever  your  hand  findeth  to  do,  do 
it  with  your  might  I  No  more  waste  1  Cut  off 
everj^  expense  which  fashion,  caprice,  or  flesh  and 
blood  demand.  No  more  covetousness,  but  employ 
whatever  God  has  entrusted  you  with  in  doing 
good,  all  possible  good,  in  every  possible  kind  and 
degree,  to  the  household  of  faith,  to  all  men !" 

Thus  it  was  that  John  Wesley  preached  temper- 
ance, in  all  its  compass  ;  not  that  narrow  thing  now 
called  temperance — the  mere  abstinence  from  in- 
toxicating drinks.  Nor  did  he  preach  in  vain.  No. 
Multitudes,  sunk  and  sinking  in  all  kinds  of  in- 
temperance, became  thoroughly  temperate,  in  every 
sense  of  the  word.  His  soeieties,  or  churches,  were 
the  grand  temperance  societies  of  those  days.  He 
did  not  give  his  people  into  the  hands  of  infidels, 
that  they  might  form  them  into  societies  and  teach 
them  temperance.  Not  so  ;  he  proclaimed  salvation 
—^11  salvation — by  grace  through  faith  :  salvation 
to  the  utteinnost.  And  all  who  accepted  salvation 
on  these  terms,  the  only  terms  upon  which  salva- 
tion can  be  had,  he  gathered  together  into  the 
*  acred  fold,  according  to  divine  appointment ;  and 


240      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

being  satisfied  with,  a  place  in  this  sacred  enclosure, 
among  God's  people,  they  sweetly  sang, — 

"  Let  us  then  sweet  counsel  take 

How  to  make  our  calling  sure  ; 
Our  election  how  to  make, 

Past  the  reach  of  hell,  secure, 
Build  we  each  the  other  up  ; 

Pray  we  for  our  faith's  increase  ; 
Solid  comfort,  settled  hope. 

Constant  joy,  and  lasting  peace." 

And  again, — 

"  0,  do  not  suffer  him  to  part 
The  souls  that  here  agree  ; 
But  make  us'  of  one  mind  and  heart, 
And  keep  us  one  in  thee. 

*'  Together  let  us  sweetly  live, — 
Together  let  us  die  ; 
And  each  a  starry  crown  receive, 
And  reign  above  the  sky." 

And  yet  again  : — 

"  Let  worldly  minds  the  world  pursue, 

It  has  no  charms  for  me: 
Once  I  admired  its  trifles  too, 

But  grace  hath  set  me  free. 

"  Its  pleasures  can  no  longer  please. 
Nor  happiness  afford  : 
Far  from  my  heart  be  joys  like  these, 
Now  I  have  found  the  Lord." 

This  is  gospel  salvation.  The  heart  is  weaned 
from  all  forbidden  things,  and  made  to  delight  in 
God  and  the   things  of  God.     Then,  and  not  till 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  241 

then,  will  a  man  "  Gain  all  he  can ;"  "  Save  all  ho 
can;"  and  "Give  all  he  can!"  This  is  temper- 
ance in  earnest.  And,  observe,  a  greater  authority 
than  John  Wesley  speaks  words  still  more  pointed 
and  terrible,  aiming  them  directly  at  all  those  who 
gain  and  save,  but  do  not  give.  "  Go  to  now,  ye 
rich  men,  w^eep  and  howl  for  your  miseries  that 
shall  come  upon  you.  Your  riches  are  corrupted, 
and  your  garments  are  moth-eaten,  your  gold  and 
silver  are  cankered  ;  and  the  rust  of  them  shall  be 
a  witness  against  you,  and  shall  eat  your  flesh  as  it 
were  fire.  Ye  have  heaped  treasure  together  for  the 
last  days." 

It  is  easy  to  see  that  these  men  meant  something 
when  they  preached.  John  Wesley  struck  heavy 
blows,  but  James  struck  heavier  still.  John  said 
strong  things  about  laying  up  treasure  upon  earth, 
but  James,  I  think,  has  said  still  stronger  things  to 
the  same  characters.  And,  it  may  be  well  to  say 
in  passing,  that  John  Wesley  practiced  what  he 
preached  It  is  said  that  he  gave  away  in  the 
course  of  his  life  not  less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  pounds  sterling  I  And  when  he  died  he 
had  just  about  enough  left  to  pay  his  funeral  ex- 
penses. This  is  what  he  had  long  before  promised 
the  world  he  would  do,  and  gave  them  leave  to  call 
him  a  thief  and  a  robber  if  he  would  do  otherwise. 
Truly  here  is  temperance  in  preaching  and  practice. 
O  what  a  difference,  both  in  practice  and  theory, 
between  this  great  temperance  preacher,  and  the 
bulk  of  temperance  lecturers  who  in    the  present 

day  try  to  make  a  fortune  by  lecturing  on  temper- 
21 


242  POWER   WITH    GOD  AND  WITH    MEN. 

ance,  and  then  do  little  more  than  make  the  people 
laugh.  John  Wesley  did  more  to  promote  genuine 
temperance  in  all  its  branches,  than  such  men  ever 
did,  or  ever  will  do,  even  though  they  were  as 
numerous  as  the  armies  of  Artaxerxes,  or  even  as 
the  frogs  of  Egj'^pt.  Yet  such  lecturers  would  have 
us  believe  that  the  pulpit  had  proved  a  signal  fail- 
ure, and  that  the  world,  especially  Christendom, 
was  just  at  the  point  of  ruin  when  they  appeared 
on  the  stage  ;  and  all  would  certainly  have  been 
lost  long  since,  had  they  not  come  to  the  rescue. 
I  mj^self  heard  a  lecturer  say  this  much,  and  more 
than  this,  for  he  specified  the  Bible  as  well  as  the 
pulpit.  I  make  these  remarks  because  I  would  have 
it  understood  that  it  is  by  declaring  the  whole  coun- 
sel of  God  that  the  world  is  to  be  saved,  not  by 
telling  humorous  stories,  one  half  of  which,  per- 
haps, are  not  true.  And,  be  it  understood,  Gospel 
Salvation  includes  temperance  in  all  its  latitude 
and  longitude  1  Go,  then,  and  preach  as  did  Paul, 
Peter,  James,  Luther,  Zwingle,  Whitefield,  Wesle}^ 
and  other  holy  men  who  preached  the  preaching 
that  God  commanded  them  to  preach  :  and  pay  no 
attention  to  those  who  would  have  you  turn  your 
churches  into  places  of  amusement,  and  your  min- 
isters into  humorous  lecturers  and  story-tellers. 

I  have  dwelt  upon  Wesley's  temperance  preach- 
ing not  only  to  show,  if  possible,  the  extensive 
meaning  of  this  important  word,  but  because  he 
anticipated  the  very  same  evil  that  is  anticipated  in 
the  Scripture  under  investigation,  and,  consequently, 
gave  temperance  the  very  same  place  among  the 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  213 

Christian  graces,  that  is  given  to  it  by  the  Apostle 
Peter.  With  his  characteristic  discrimination,  he 
saw  that  a  genuine  Gospel  ministry  would  cause 
the  people  to  become  intelligent,  active,  prudent,  and 
economical :  and  that  the  natural  result  of  this, 
together  with  God's  blessing  upon  such  a  life, 
w^ould  be,  that  they  would  become  rich.  He  saw 
with  equal  clearness  that  unless  their  temperance 
would  keep  pace  with  their  prosperity,  this  very 
prosperity  would  prove  their  ruin.  Hence  he  fre- 
quently touched  upon  this  subject  in  his  sermons, 
and  finally  took  it  up  in  good  earnest,  frequently 
preaching  from  the  text,  "  Lay  not  up  for  your- 
selves treasures  upon  earth,"  etc.,  etc.  Introducing 
in  connection  with  this  text  these  words  of  our 
Lord,  "  If  any  man  be  willing  to  do  my  will,  he 
shall  know  of  the  doctrine  whether  it  be  of  God," 
he  gives  the  following  incident  to  show  why  men  do 
not  know,  or  pretend  not  to  know,  so  plain  a  text : 
"  Two  as  sensible  men  as  most  in  England,  sat 
down  together,  some  time  since,  to  read  over  and 
consider  that  plain  discourse  on  '  Lay  not  up  for 
yourselves  treasures  upon  earth.'  After  much  deep 
consideration,  one  of  them  broke  out,  'Positively,  I 
cannot  understand  it.  Pray  do  you  understand  it, 
Mr.  L.  ?'  Mr.  L.  honestly  replied,  'Indeed,  not  I. 
I  cannot  conceive  what  Mr.  W.  means.  I  can 
make  nothing  at  all  of  it  V  "  Such  was  the  decision 
of  "Two  as  sensible  men  as  most  in  England," 
"  after  much,  deep  consideration,"  on  Mr.  Weslej^'s 
"  plain  discourse"  upon  "  Lay  not  up  for  yourselves 
treasures  upon   earth."      The   reason   Mr.  Wesley 


244  POWER    WITH    GOD    AND    WITH    MEN. 

assigns  for  the  obtuseness  of  these  two  very  sensible 
men,  with  regard  to  his  plain  temperance  sermon, 
is  found,  he  says,  in  that  text,  "  If  any  man  be 
willing  to  do  my  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine 
whether  it  be  of  God."  In  this  sermon  which  these 
gentlemen  found  so  hard  to  be  understood,  Mr. 
Wesley  talks  after  this  manner  : — "  How  does  ex- 
perience confirm  this?  Even  after  God  hath  opened 
the  eyes  of  the  understanding,  if  we  seek  or  desire 
any  thing  else  than  God,  how  soon  is  our  foolish 
heart  darkened  ?  Then  clouds  again  rest  upon  our 
souls.  Doubts  and  fears  again  overwhelm  us.  We 
are  tossed  to  and  fro,  and  know  not  what  to  do,  or 
which  is  the  path  wherein  we  should  go.  But  when 
we  desire  and  seek  nothing  but  God,  clouds  and 

doubts  vanish  away." "  God  showeth  us 

the  path  wherein  we  should  go,  and  maketh  plain 
the  wa}'-  before  our  face."  This  not  laying  up 
treasure  upon  earth,  this  desiring  and  seeking  God 
alone,  this  single  eye,  is  temperance  in  earnest, 
Scripture  temperance,  the  temperance  which  John 
Wesley  preached,  and  which  these  sensible  gentle- 
men could  not  understand,  no  not  "  after  much 
deep  consideration."  After  dwelling  at  some  length 
upon  this  subject,  Mr.  W.  adds,  "  And  it  is  also 
matter  of  daily  experience,  that  by  grace  we  are 
[thus]  saved  through  faith."  Thus  he  not  only 
shows  what  true  temperance  is,  but  also,  how  it  is 
obtained.  Nor  vrill  it  ever  be  either  understood,  or 
experienced  till  it  is  sought  in  the  way  here  stated, 
'' ^Y  grace  through  faith."  Mr.  W.  also  shows, 
that  between  a  single,  and  an  evil  eye,  there  is  no 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  245 

medium.  And  in  this  particular  also,  he  teaches 
just  what  Christ  teaches, — "But  if  thine  eye  be 
evil  thy  whole  body  shall  be  full  of  darkness.'* 
Hence  Mr.  Wesley's,  as  well  as  our  Lord's  sermon, 
is  all  mystery  to  certain  gentlemen,  they  can  "  make 
nothing  at  all  ql"  it  !"  Particularly  when  he  says, 
"  With  regard  to  most  of  the  commandments  of 
God,  whether  relating  to  the  heart  or  life,  the  heathen 
of  Africa  or  America  stand  much  on  a  level  with 
those  who  are  called  Christians.  The  Christians 
observe  them  (a  few  only  being  excepted)  very  near 
as  much  as  the  heathens.  For  instance:  the  gener- 
ality of  the  natives  of  England,  commonly  called 
Christians,  are  •  as  solder  and  as  temperate  as  the 
generality  of  the  heathen  near  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  And  so  the  Dutch  or  French  Christians  are  as 
humble  and  as  chaste  as  the  Choctaw  or  Cherokee 
Indians.  It  is  not  easy  to  say,  when  we  compare 
the  bulk  of  the  nations  in  Europe  with  those  in 
America,  whether  the  superiority  lies  on  the  one 
side  or  the  other."  After  saying  a  great  deal  more 
of  this  kind,  and  all  addressed  to  those  who  seek 
and  lay  up  treasures  upon  earth,  he  exclaims, 
"  Hear  ye  this,  all  ye  that  dwell  in  the  world,  and 
love  the  world  wherein  ye  dwell!  Ye  may  be  high- 
ly esteemed  of  men ;  but  ye  are  an  abomination  in 
the  sight  of  God  1  How  long  shall  3'our  souls  cleave 
to  the  dust  ?  How  long  will  you  load  yourselves 
with  thick  clay  ?  When  will  ye  awake  and  see,  that 
the  open,  speculative  heathen  are  nearer  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  than  you  ?  When  will  you  be  per- 
suaded to  choose  the  better  part,  that  which  cannot 
21* 


24fi  POWER    WITH    GOD    AND  WITH    xMEN. 

be  taken  away  from  you  ?  When  will  ye  seek  only 
to  lay  up  treasures  in  heaven ;  renouncing,  dreading, 
abhorring  all  others  ?  If  you  aim  at  *  laying  up 
treasures  on  earth,'  3'ou  are  not  barely  losing  your 
time,  and  spending  your  strength  for  that  which  is 
not  bread  ;  for  what  is  the  fruit  i£  you  succeed  ? — - 
You  have  murdered  your  own  soul !  You  have 
extinguished  the  last  spark  of  spiritual  life  therein. 
Now,  indeed,  in  the  midst  of  life,  you  are  in  death ! 

You  are  a  living  man,  but  a  dead  Christian." 

"Your  love,  your  joy,  your  desire,  are  all  placed 
on  the  things  which  perish  in  the  using.  You  have 
thrown  away  the  treasures  in  heaven.  God  and 
Christ  are  lost  I  You  have  gained  riches, — and  hell 
fire  I" 

Alas  !  how  many  are  there  now,  who  understand 
this  kind  of  preaching  just  as  little  as  did  the  two 
gentlemen  who  said,  "  Positivel}^  I  cannot  under- 
stand it."  "I  cannot  conceive  what  Mr.  Wesley 
means,  I  can  make  nothing  at  all  of  it!"  Well, 
whether  you  understand  Wesley,  or  not,  do  you 
understand  Jesus,  when  he  commands  you  not  to 
"  La}'"  up  treasure  upon  earth  ;"  when  he  exhorts 
that  3^our  eye  he  i^ivgle,  not  evil,  and  assures  you  the 
former  is  a  state  of  light,  the  latter  a  state  of  great 
darkness  ?  If  we  do  not  understand  this,  it  is  with 
a  poor  grace  that  we  talk  either  about  Christian 
temperance,  or  Christian  jyrogression. 

In  his  sermon  entitled  (he  ivisdom  of  God^s  conn, 
sets,  he  takes  occasion  to  lift  up  his  warning  voice 
thus,  upon  this  same  subject : — "  Once  more,  there- 
fore, I   say,  having   iyainod   and  saved  all  you   can, 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  24 T 

do  you  give  all  you  can  ?  else  your  money  will  eat 
your  flesh  as  fire,  and  will  sink  you  to  the  nether- 
most hell !  O  beware  of  'laying  up  treasures  upon 
earth  1'  Is  it  not  treasuring  up  wrath  against  the 
day  of  wrath  ?  Lord,  I  have  warned  them  !  but  if 
they  will  not  be  warned,  what  can  I  do  more  ?  I  can 
only  *  give  them  up  unto  their  own  heart's  lusts, 
and  let  them,  follow  their  own  imaginations.'  By 
not  taking  this  warning,  it  is  certain  many  of  the 
Methodists  are  already  fallen ;  many  are  falling  at 
this  very  time  ;  and  there  is  great  reason  to  appre- 
hend, that  many  more  will  fall,  most  of  whom  will 
rise  no  more  !" 

In  his  sermon  "  on  riches,"  and  while  dwelling 
on  the  topic,  "denying  ourselves,"  after  saying 
much,  and  bending  all  his  strength  to  it,  he  thus 
touchingly  exclaims,  "  0  that  God  would  give  me 
acceptable  words  I  and  cause  them  to  sink  deep  into 
3^our  hearts  I  Many  of.  you  have  known  me  long, 
well  nigh  from  your  infancy :  you  have  frequently 
helped  me,  when  I  stood  in  need.  May  I  not  say, 
you  loved  me  ?  But  now  the  time  of  our  parting 
is  at  hand:  my  feet  are  just  stumbling  upon  the 
dark  mountains.  I  would  leave  one  word  with  you, 
before  I  go  hence ;  and  you  may  remember  it  Miien 
I  am  no  more  seen.  0  let  your  heart  be  whole 
with  God  !  Seek  your  happiness  in  him,  and  in 
him  alone.  Beware  that  you  cleave  not  to  the  dust  I 
This  earth  is  not  your  place !  See  that  you  use 
the  world  as  not  abusing  it :  use  the  world,  and 
e7ijoy  God.  Sit  as  loose  to  all  things  here  below, 
as  if  you  were  a  poor  beggar.     Be  a  good  steward 


248  POWER    WITH    GOD    AND    WITH    MEN. 

of  the  manifold  gifts  of  God  ;  that  when  you  are 
called  to  give  an  account  of  your  stewardship,  he 
may  say,  '  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant, 
enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord  I'  " 

Thus  did  Mr.  Wesley  clearly  see,  and  faithfully 
show,  that  previous  attainments,  though  in  them- 
selves great  blessings,  would  be  turned  into  the 
veriest  curses,  if  temperance  were  not  added.  And 
this  is  precisely  the  evil  that  is  anticipated,  and 
guarded  against  in  the  Scripture  under  considera- 
tion, and  which  so  clearly  points  out  the  path,  the 
only  path,  of  Christian  progress.  Having  advanced 
so  far,  in  faith,  courage,  and  knowledge,  now  add 
temperance.  We  are  not  to  suppose,  of  course,  that 
this  grace  did  not  exist  previous  to  this  time,  but 
having  made  these  advances  in  temporal,  as  well  as 
in  intellectual  and  moral  attainments,  there  are 
stronger  temptations  to  intemperance,  and,  conse- 
quently, additional  reasons  for  fortifying  yourself 
in  that  direction.  For  instance,  you  are  more  liable 
to  become  proud  of  your  attainments,  than  you  were 
to  become  proud  of  your  destitution  ;  and  pride  is 
the  worst  kind  of  intemperance.  You  are  more 
liable  to  think  more  highly  of  yourself  than  you. 
ought  to  think,  in  view  of  your  attainments  in 
knowledge,  than  3'ou  were  in  view  of  your  ignorance, 
especially  if  other  attainments  are  not  equal,  for,  in 
this  case  at  least,  "knowledge  puffeth  up."  More- 
over, when  you  were  poor,  in  temporalities,  almost 
as  poor,  though  as  holy,  as  Lazarus,  it  was  not  pos- 
sible for  you,  in  your  pride  and  self-sufficiency,  to 
exclaim  with  the  Laodiceans,  "  I  am  rich,  and  in- 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION,  249 

creased  with  goods,  and  have  need  of  nothing :" 
nor  was  it  possible  for  you,  then,  to  be  enamored 
with  a  well-furnished  mansion,  and  a  splendid  equip- 
age ;  for  3^ou  neither  had,  nor  could  have,  any  thing 
of  the  kind ;  and,  perhaps,  you  neither  desired  nor 
thought  of  such  things,  but  would  have  been  well 
satisfied  with  an  humble,  though  comfortable  home. 
And  it  was  equally  impossible  for  you  to  be  "  clothed 
in  purple  and  fine  linen,  and  fare  sumptuously  every 
day."  In  these  ways,  and  many  others,  it  was  not 
then  possible  for  you  to  become  intemperate ;  but 
having  become  rich  and  honorable,  by  the  Christian 
attainments  above  specified,  it  is  quite  possible  for 
you  to  become  intemperate  in  all  these  ways,  and 
many  others  ;  indeed  you  are  surrounded  with  many 
and  strong  temptations  to  become  intemperate  ;  and 
the  flatterers  by  whom  rich  and  honorable  men  are 
always  surrounded,  are  amongst  their  most  danger- 
ous tempters. 

Hence  the  necessity  of  now  adding  temperance, 
and  guarding  against  intemperance,  to  an  extent  that 
was  not  previously  necessary.  If  Nebuchadnezzar 
had  been  a. poor  man,  he  never  had  said,  "Is  not 
this  great  Bab^don,  that  I  have  built  for  the  house 
of  the  kingdom,  by  the  might  of  my  power,  and 
for  the  honor  of  my  majesty ;"  and,  consequently, 
would  never  have  been  thus  intemperate — would 
never  have  had  his  "dwelling  with  the  beasts  of 
the  field,"  where  he  was  caused  to  "eat  grass  as 
oxen."  For  the  same  reason,  if  the  primitive 
Christian  churches  had  never  become  rich  and 
honorable,   the   great   apostacy   had    never  taken 


250  POWER   WITH    GOD    AND    WITH    MEX. 

place ;  nor  would  it  have  taken  place,  if  they  had 
taken  the  advice  of  that  Apostle,  whom,  without 
reason,  they  claimed  to  be  their  patron.  No  ;  the 
apo  Stacy  never  could  have  taken  place,  if  they 
had  added  to  their  knowledge,  temperance.  But 
they  became  intemperate,  and  thereby  turned  all 
their  blessings  into  curses ;  and  ruin,  universal  ruin, 
was  the  result — the  inevitable  result.  This  was 
specially  the  case  under  Constantine.  Then,  po- 
sition in  the  Christian  church  became  very  desira- 
ble. Hence  it  was  sought  by  men  of  worldly 
aspirations  ;  and  soon  these  honor  and  pleasure 
seeking  dignitaries  took  the  places  of  the  holy  and 
humble  primitive  pastors  of  Christ's  flock,  and,  like 
their  Jewish  ancestors,  another  apostate  genera- 
tion, they  "  beat  one,  and  killed  another,  and 
stoned  another."  And  having  thus  killed  off  the 
faithful  pastors,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  Jesus  also, 
they  said,  ''Let  us  seize  upon  his  inheritance." 
And  thej^  did  so  ;  and  to  this  day  the}^  are  living, 
upon  that  inheritance,  a  life  of  intemperance  and 
infamy ;  and  that  which  was  a  fruitful  field,  a  para- 
disc,  when  they  seized  it,  has  long  since  become  a 
waste  howling  wilderness,  full  of  ravenous  beasts 
and  venomous  serpents.  And  so.  it  will  remain, 
doubtless,  till  the  Lord  of  the  vineyard  destroys 
those  murderers,  and  gives  his  vineyard  to  others 
who  shall  render  him  the  fruits  in  their  seasons. 

Once  more.  Solomon,  too,  had  a  good  begin- 
ning. He  evidently  had  faith,  and  the  concomi- 
tant graces  to  a  very  encouraging  extent.  And, 
we   presume,  he   added  courage ;   and  it  is  quite 


CHRISTIAN   PROGRESSION.  251 

certain  he  added  knowledge,  and  that  to  an  un- 
precedented extent.  So  that  for  a  time  he  had 
an  illustrious  career;  but,  alas!  he  did  not  add 
temperance  adequate  to  his  circumstances.  And 
just  here  progress  terminated,  and  retrogression 
commenced,  and,  like  his  intemperance,  continued 
till  this  once  illustrious  mo:iarcli  became  a  de- 
graded idolator,  and  sunk  down  into  the  veriest 
whirlpool  of  intemperance  under  a  cloud  of  unmit- 
igated darkness  w^hich  rests  on  his  grave  to  this 
day !  Here  is  a  man  that  had  placed  before  him 
one  of  the  brightest  prospects,  perhaps  the  bright- 
est, that  ever  stretched  out  before  a  human  being, 
and  every  thing  was  in  his  favor:  he  had  riches, 
honors,  knowledge,  fame,  to  an  incredible  extent. 
Yet  this  same  Solomon,  so  famous  for  wisdom 
at  one  time,  finally  died  a  fool  1  Why  ?  Simply 
because  he  had  not  wisdom  enough  to  add  to  his 
knowledge  temperance.  This  one  mistake  proved 
his  ruin !  Had  Solomon  done  what  the  fisherman 
of  Galilee  here  advises,  his  progress  without  doubt 
had  continued,  and  his  career  would  have  been 
one  of  the  most  illustrious  ever  known  among 
men.  0  that  I  could  move  all  Christians,  espe- 
cially rich  Christians,  to  study,  prayerfully  study, 
these  few  verses,  this  single  passage  of  holy  writ, 
and  put  its  sublime  and  heavenly  teachings  into 
practice.  To  this  end  I  beg  that  you  will  3^et 
sit  with  me  at  the  feet  of  this  great  teacher,  and 
hear  with  the  profoundest  attention  the  marvellous 
instructions  which  he  is  here  imparting. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Add  patience.  This  is  shown  to  be  absolutely  necessary  to 
Christian  progress  ;  for,  the  more  Christian  activities  abound, 
the  more  is  patience  rendered  necessary — The  peculiar  work 
of  patience  at  different  periods  in  the  Christian  life — No 
other  grace  can  take  its  place  and  do  its  work — Sometimes 
one  grace  must  take  the  lead,  sometimes  another — Judg- 
ment must  lead  up  first  one,  and  then  another,  according  to 
circumstances  ;  as  an  experienced  General  will  lead  up  to 
the  front,  first  one  division,  and  then  another,  according 
to  the  necessities  of  the  occasion — Meaning  of  the  word 
vno^itvui  is  given — It  always  springs  from,  and  is  supported 
by  faith,  as  are  all  the  Christian  graces — It  is  distinguished 
from  stoicism,  and  from  the  natural  power  of  endurance  as 
seen  in  the  camel  or  the  ox. 

Hear  him — "And  besides  this,  giving  all  dili- 
gence, add  patience,  otherwise  3'our  progress  must 
terminate  just  here.  For,  one  who  is  in  possession 
of  the  faith,  courage,  knowledge,  and  temperance, 
here  specified,  must  travel  at  an  uncommon  speed, 
and,  consequently,  must  come  in  contact  with  the 
unbelieving,  coivardhj,  ignorant,  intemperate  crea- 
tures, who  will,  doubtless,  view  him  as  being  very- 
singular,  if  not  very  offensive.  And  singular  he 
is,  not  because  he  is  right,  but  because  the  bulk 
of  mankind  are  wrong.  Indeed,  it  would  be 
strange,  passing  strange,  if  he  would  not  come  in 
252 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  253 

violent  collision  with  some  of  the  multitude,  who 
are  either  moving  in  an  opposite  direction,  or 
moving  very  slow,  while  he  is  moving  very  fast. 
Nor  would  it  be  strange  if  he  should  find  it  neces- 
sary to  shove  some  of  them  out  of  the  way,  or  even 
to  tramp  right  over  them  !  And  then,  of  course, 
their  anger  and  opposition  would  know  no  bounds. 
And  here,  certainlj^,  if  not  before,  he  must  add 
jjatience,  without  delay,  or  he  will  surely  be  over- 
come, by  partaking  of  their  spirit,  and  imitating 
their  example,  even  bj''  "  rendering  railing  for  rail- 
ing." Just  here  it  is  that  he  must  imitate  his 
master,  who,  "  when  he  was  reviled,  reviled  not 
again ;"  yea,  "as  a  sheep  before  her  shearer  is 
dumb,  so  he  opened  not  his  mouth."  But  to  this 
end  he  must  add  j^atience,  nothing  else  will  do.  Or, 
if  he  does  not  choose  to  be  "  dumb,"  he  must  do  as 
this  same  Peter  directs — act  still  more  contrary  to 
his  scolding  and  cursing  neighbors,  by  not  only 
"  not  rendering  railing  for  railing,  but,  contrari- 
wise, blessing."  And  to  this  end,  he  must  add 
love  as  well  as  patience,  otherwise  he  will  not  bless 
lovingly,  if  he  does  patiently.  But  if  he  adds 
patience  sufficient  for  such  an  emergency,  his  tri- 
umph is  easy,  and  his  progress  sure ;  he  will  pass 
on,  leaving  the  angry  cursing  creatures  far  behind, 
too  far  even  to  be  heard.  And  this  very  conduct, 
while  it  preserves  the  soul  of  the  unoffending  party 
in  peace,  will  greatly  increase  the  rage  of  the  other. 
Now  it  is  that  the  rage  of  Shimei  knows  no  bounds, 
hence  he  commences  to  throw  stones,  as  well  as 
curse,  while  patient  David  travels  on,  simply  say- 


254      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

ing,  let  "  Shimei  curse  David,"  But  these  very 
words  wound  Shimei  more  than  the  stones  wound 
David.  And  if  the  Christian,  when  thus  treated, 
has  the  spirit  of  song,  as  well  as  that  of  patience, 
it  may  be  wise  to  sing  the  following,  or  similar 
lines, — 

"  Lord  I  adore  thy  righteous  will, 
Through  every  instrument  of  ill 

My  Father's  goodness  see  ; 
Accept  the  complicated  wrong 
Of  Shimei^s  hand  and  Shimei' s  tongue 
As  kind  rebukes  from  thee^ 

Such  a  song  as  this,  if  sung  very  patiently, 
sweetly,  and  lovingly,  may  silence  Shimei  alto- 
gether. Be  this  as  it  may,  "  In  your  patience  pos- 
sess 3^e  3^our  soul,"  and  you  will  continue  to 
progress  despite  a  host  of  angry,  noisy,  Shimeis. 
And  in  view  of  such  noble  conduct  another  Wesley 
may  sing  something  like  the  following  to  your 
praise : 

"Let  Shimei  curse:  the  rod  he  bears 
For  sins  which  mercy  had  forgiven ; 
And  in  the  wrongs  of  man  reveres 
The  awful  righteousness  of  heaven.'' 

And  while  patience  thus  triumphs,  all  the  other 
graces  will  participate  in  her  victory,  and  increase 
in  strength.  No  marvel,  then,  that  such  patient 
conquering  heroes  exclaim  with  Paul, — "  We  glory 
in  tribulation  also  ;  knowing  that  tribulation  worketh 
patience  ;  and  patience,  experience  ;  and  experience, 
hope  ;  and  hope  maketh  not  ashamed  :  because  the 
love  of  God  is  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  255 

Holy  Ghost  which  is  given  uDto  us."  The  Christian 
graces,  like  the  members  of  Christ's  mystical  body, 
have  a  mutual  sympathy:  when  one  suffers,  all 
suffer;  and  when  one  triumphs,  all  participate  in 
that  triumph.  But,  although  all  engage  in  every 
battle,  one  or  other  of  the  graces  takes  the  lead, 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  contest  or  character 
of  the  opposing  power.  When  the  contest  is  like 
that  in  which  David  and  the  three  Hebrew  children 
engaged  in,  courage  must  take  the  lead ;  but  when 
th€  contest  is  like  that  in  which  Job  engao^ed,  then 
patience  is  called  upon  to  act  the  most  prominent 
part.  As"  an  experienced  general  would  lead  up 
that  battalion,  or  division,  that  is  most  adapted  to 
the  occasion  ;  so  judgment,  in  this  case,  must  act  a 
similar  part,  leading  up  to  the  front  that  grace 
which  is  most  adapted  to  the  occasion.  For  in- 
stance, it  would  be  folly  to  expose  meekness  or 
patience  in  the  front  of  the  battle  that  was  fought 
with  the  angry  king  and  his  vile  courtiers  on  the 
plain  of  Dura.  There  courage  was  the  proper  force 
to  take  the  lead,  hurling  defiance  at  the  enemy,  and 
exclaiming  as  in  tones  of  thunder,  in  the  very  face 
of  the  king,  "Be  it  known  unto  thee,  0  King,  that 
we  will  not  bow  down  to  thine  image,  nor  worship 
it !"  Never  was  a  battle  better  ordered,  or  better 
fought,  than  that  in  which  courage  took  the  lead 
during  that  terrible  contest  on  the  plains  of  Babylon, 
in  the  vicinit^^  of  a  furnace  which  flamed  and  roared 
with  infernal  ftny.  This  was  not  the  place  for  weep- 
ing damsels,  like  meekness  and  patience  to  lead  the 
van.     No,   no,  this  was  the  place  for  courage  to 


25 G  POWER    WITH    GOD    AND    WITH    MEN. 

shout  to  the  battle,  in  tones  that  rose  higher  and 
louder  than  the  threatenings  of  the  king,  and  the 
roaring  of  the  furnace,  when  commingling  with  "  all 
kinds  of  music."  But  under  such  calamities  as  fell 
upon  Job,  it  was  equally  proper  that  meekness  and 
patience,  clothed  in  sackcloth  and  bathed  in  tears,- 
should  lie  in  the  dust,  crying  with  tremulous  voice 
in  weeping  and  subdued  tones,  "  The  Lord  gave, 
and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away,  and  blessed  be  the 
name  of  the  Lord."  Here  in  the  land  of  Uz,  meek- 
ness and  patience  acted  as  noble  a  part,  as  did  faith 
and  courage  on  the  plain  of  Dura.  But,  whatever 
grace  takes  the  lead,  faith  is  the  base,  so  to  sj^eak, 
from  which  all  the  supplies  are  drawn,  and  drawn 
as  needed.  At  other  times  faith  itself  may  be  said 
to  take  the  lead,  as  in  the  taking  of  Jericho ;  then, 
of  course,  all  the  walls  fell  down  Jiat,  and  every 
gun  was  taken,  with  the  city  itself,  and  the  victory 
was  complete ;  so  much  so,  that  Jericho  never  rose 
again  ! 

At  other  times  the  progress  is  continued  princi- 
pally under  the  leadership  of  patience;  then  it  is 
not  uncommon  to  hear  the  pilgrims  sing  this  song, 
especially  when  "  passing  through  the  valley  of 
Baca,"— • 

"  Patient  the  appointed  race  to  run, 
This  weary  world  we  cast  behind  ; 

From  strength  to  strength  we  travel  on, 
The  New  Jerusalem  to  find  : 

Our  labor  this,  our  only  aim, 

To  find  the  New  Jerusalem." 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  257 

Or  this— 

"  Come,  let  us  anew  our  journey  pursue, 
Roll  round  with  the  year, 
And  never  stand  still  till  the  Master  appear. 
His  adorable  will  let  us  gladly  fulfil. 
And  our  talents  improve, 
By  the  patience  of  hope,  and  the  labor  of  love." 

Under  such  circumstances  patience  makes  a  good 
leader,  but  let  her  be  well  supported  b}^  all  the 
other  graces — "  My  brethren,  count  it  all  joy  when 
ye  fall  into  divers  temptations ;  knowing  this,  that 
the  trying  of  3'our  faith  worketh  patience.  But  let 
patience  have  her  perfect  work,  that  ye  may  be  per- 
fect and  entire,  wanting  nothing."  "  Let  patience 
have  her  perfect  work,"  let  faith,  hope,  love,  tem- 
perance, courage,  even  all  the  graces,  render  her 
proper  assistance,  but  let  none  of  them  attempt  to 
take  her  place.  Courage  is  a  good  leader,  none  so 
good,  when  angry  kings,  murderous  office-seekers, 
lion's  dens,  and  fiery  furnaces,  are  to  be  met ;  when 
it  comes  to  a  hand  to  hand  fight  with  all  the  armies 
of  the  aliens  on  the  plains  of  Babj'lon,  or  in  the 
valley  of  Armageddon.  But  in  the  valley  of  Baca, 
the  Island  of  Patmos,  the  cells  of  the  Inquisition, 
the  sick  bed,  or  a  place  with  Lazarus  at  the  rich 
man's  gate,  or  with  Job  on  the  dung-hill ;  patience 
makes  an  excellent  leader,  yea,  and  an  excellent 
nurse  too.  In  such  circumstances  she  exhibits 
inimitable  charms,  is  the  veriest  Dorcas,  and  even 
makes  all  the  bed  of  the  afflicted.  If  she  does  rot 
s^op  the  mouths  of  lions,  and  quench  the  violence  of 
22* 


258      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

fire,  and  turn  to  flight  the  armies  of  the  aliens,  ske 
utterly  annihilates  enemies  not  less  dangerous ; 
such  as,  murmuring,  complaining,  fretfulness,  in- 
gratitude, and  even  rebellion,  and  the  worst  of  all 
enemies,  despair  itself !  Therefore,  "  Let  patience 
have  her  perfect  work,  that  ye  may  be  perfect  and 
entire,  lacking  nothing!"  Truly  very  excellent 
things  are  spoken  of  this  same  patience.  Indeed 
it  is  difficult  to  speak  too  highly  of  her.  It  would 
even  seem  that  every  other  grace  receives  its  com- 
plete finish,  its  highest  polish,  under  her  hand,  for 
it  is  only  when  she  has  "  her  perfect  work,"  that 
we  are  "perfect  and  entire,  lacking  nothing."  We 
are  to  "  bring  forth  fruit  with  patience ;"  "  patience 
worketh  experience ;"  under  her  soft  hand  we 
"  quietl}'-  wait"  for  all  that  is  the  object  of  hope. 
Indeed,  it  is  '-through  patience  and  comfort  of  the 
Scriptures  that  we  have  hope."  Even  Apostles 
"  approved  themselves  as  ministers  of  God  in  much 
patience."  "Truly  the  signs  of  an  Apostle  were 
wrought  among  you  in  all  patience."  It  seems, 
then,  that  an  Apostle  could  not  be  known  as  such 
without  the  finish  of  her  wonderful  hand  ;  without 
it  both  he  and  his  signs  would  be  rejected  as 
spurious.  Stre-ngth  too,  it  would  seem,  must  be  per- 
fected by  patience,  for  we  are  "  strengthened  with 
all  might,  according  to  his  glorious  power,  unto 
all  patience  and  long- suffering  with  joyfuluess." 
Strength  is  not  only  no  substitute  for  patience,  but 
in  some  cases  it  is  useless  without  patience.  Samp- 
son had  strength  enough  to  subdue  all  the  Philis- 
tines, but  he   had  not  patience  enough  to  bear  the 


CHRISTIAN    PROaRESSION.  S.'jO 

teasing  of  Delilnh :  strength  was  very  important 
in  a  contest  with  the  Philistines,  but  it  was  useless 
in  a  contest  with  Delilah.  Supported  by  patience 
and  faith  the  Thessalonians  conquered  all  their  per- 
secutors; hence  Paul  says,  "we  ourselves  glory  in 
you  in  the  churches  of  God,  for  your  patience  and 
faith  in  all  your  persecutions  and  tribulations  that 
3''e  endure."  Their  patience  and  faith  stood  side 
by  side,  and  bore  them  safe  through  a  sea  of  perse- 
cution and  tribulation.  In  1  Tim.  vi.  11,  we  find 
righteousness,  godliness,  faith,  love,  patience,  and 
meekness  united,  and  Timothy  is  exhorted  to  "  fol- 
low after"  them.  Here  is  a  glorious  troop,  a  kind 
of  body-guard,  that  would  keep  Timothy  safe  in  the 
midst  of  the  greatest  perils.  Indeed  it  is  "  through 
faith  and  patience"  that  we  are  to  "  inherit  the 
promises."  The  same  authority  says :  "Ye  have 
need  of  patience,  that,  after  ye  have  done  the  will 
of  God,  ye  might  receive  the  promise."  So  then, 
we  can  neither  do  the  will  of  God,  nor  inherit  the 
promises  of  God,  without  patience!  Truly,  Paul, 
you  may  well  say,  "ye  have  need  of  patience." 
"Let  us  run  with  patience  the  race  set  before  us." 
Truly,  patience  is  "  a  friend  that  sticketh  closer 
than  a  brother,"  when  we  run,  as  well  as  when  we 
suffer.  From  Rev.  i.  9,  we  learn  that  patience  was 
the  companion  of  elohn  and  others  in  their  tribula- 
tions. And,  finally,  we  are  told  that  the  good  being 
himself,  is  "the  God  of  patience." 

We  may  now  safely  conclude,  we  think,  that 
patience  is  essential  to  Christian  progress;  without 
her  it  is  not  possible  to  "run  the  race  that  is  set 


2G0  POWER    WTTH   GOD    AND    WITH    MEN. 

before  us,"  especially  when  we  are  called  to  pass 
through  the  valley  of  Bochim,  where  the  journey  is 
long  and  lonely,  and  the  burden  presses  heav3\ 
Here  it  is  that  we  must  add  patience ;  and  here  it 
is  that  she  must  "  have  her  perfect  work."  It  was 
while  passing  through  this  dreary  valley  that  she 
was  the  most  intimate  companion  of  the  hoi}'' 
Apostle  John :  and  very  lovely  does  she  appear  in 
this  valley,  close  by  the  side  of  love,  with  meekness 
and  long-suffering  upon  her  left  hand.  With  such 
companions,  it  is  always  safe  to  travel  this  valley, 
nay,  it  is  profitable,  so  much  so,  that  by  the  time 
the  pilgrim  passes  through  the  entire  valley,  ac- 
companied by  these  four  excellent  companions,  faith 
leading  the  way,  and  searching  out  the  land,  he  is 
sure  to  be  "  perfect  and  entire,  wanting  nothing." 

But,  to  do  away  with  figure,  what  is  this  patience 
of  which  such  excellent  things  are  spoken  ?  The 
Greek  word  is  'vno/xr^voi,  from  'vroo,  under,  and  /ifvw,  to 
remain.  Patience  then,  or  the  patient  Christian,  re- 
mains under  the  cross,  in  other  words,  under  all  the 
burdens  incident  to  the  Christian  life,  without  com- 
plaining, never  saying,  "  I  neither  can  nor  will  bear 
it  any  longer,"  for  such  Christians  both  can  and  do 
bear  the  burdens  of  life,  whether  the  time  be  long 
or  short,  till  God  releases  them  from  the  last  burden, 
saying,  **  'tis  enough  ;"  then,  and  not  till  then,  are 
they  heard  to  say  with  the  good  and  patient  old 
Simeon,  "  Now  let  thy  servant  depart  in  peace, 
according  to  th}'-  word,  for  mine  e3^es  have  seen  thy 
salvation."  Unsupported  by  patience,  the  burdens 
of  life   kill,   '*  the    sorrow   of  this   world   worketh 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  201 

death  ;"  but  supported  by  Cbristian  patience,  which 
always  springs  from  faith,  as  we  have  already 
shown,  these  burdens  are  borne  with  meekness  and 
cheerfulness  ;  nor  do  they  injure  at  all,  but  "  work 
together  for  good;"  so  that  the  patient  traveller 
journeys  on,  waxing  stronger  and  stronger,  singing 
as  he  goes  : — 

''  Vain,  delusive  world  adieu, 

With  all  of  creature  good  : 
Only  Jesus  I  pursue, 

Who  bought  me  with  his  blood  : 
All  thy  pleasures  I  forego  ; 

I  trample  on  thy  wealth  and  pride  ; 
Only  Jesus  will  I  know, 

And  Jesus  crucified." 

Again,  methinks,  I  hear  these   patient   pilgrims 
sing,  right  in  the  depths  of  the  Valley  of  Bochim : — 

"  Here  fierce  temptations  beset  me  around, 
Yet  I  am  blest,  I  am  blest. 
Here  I  must  weep  while  my  foes  me  surround, 

Yet  I  am  blest,  I  am  blest. 
Let  them  revile  me,  and  scoff  at  my  name ; 
Laugh  at  my  weeping,  endeavor  to  shame, 
I  will  go  forward,  for  this  is  my  theme. 
There,  there  is  rest,  there  is  rest." 

Let  no  one  attempt  to  confound  fMs  Christian 
patience  with  stupid  unfeeling  stoicism,  it  is  as 
different  therefrom  as  is  light  from  darkness.  It  is 
not  the  stubborn  resolution,  or  the  indifference  of 
the  stoic,  neither  is  it  the  dull  endurance  of  the  ox 
or  the  camel,  mere  natural  fortitude :  no,  it  is  one 
of  the  Christian  graces,  and  is  only  found  in  con- 


^G2      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

nection  with  faith  in  Jesus,  the  faith  that  justifieSy 
that  saves.  Nor  is  it  possible  for  Christian  pro- 
gression to  continue  without  it.  Without  it,  sour 
discontent  will  spring  up  and  corrode  the  very  vitals 
of  the  soul;  or  senseless  levity  will  be  substituted 
for  Christian  cheerfulness,  and  will  kill  the  last 
vital  principle  of  the  Christian  life.  Then  God  and 
heaven  will  be  forgotten,  and  this  present  world 
will  be  loved  and  sought,  and  this  alone  !  Hear, 
then,  0  ye  Christians,  the  exhortation  of  the  holy 
Apostle,  and  obey  it,  by  adding  to  the  previous 
graces  Patience;  and,  to  this  end,  "Give  all  dili- 
gence." Then  you,  too,  will  continue  the  glorious 
Christian  progression,  and  unite  with  the  holy 
company  in  singing  the  pilgrim's  song,  even  in  the 
valley  of  Bochim, 


CHAPTER  X. 

Add  Godliness.  Both  action,  and  inaction,  may  result  either 
from  knowledge  or  ignorance.  Hence  there  may  be  some- 
thing very  like  courage,  or  patience,  when  there  is  no 
Godliness — Godliness  results  from  a  knowledge  of  God, 
and  faith  in  God — Godliness  consists  in  doing  and  suffering 
in  the  spirit  of  devotion  to  God.  In  other  words,  doing 
because  God  has  commanded,  or  not  doing,  because  he 
has  forbidden — Calmet's  definition  of  Godliness — Godliness 
in  practice,  is  to  imitate  God  in  every  thing — Godliness  in 
character  is  to  be  like  God — cvasPcia,  always  has  reference 
to  God — Parkhurst  is  quoted — No  act  can  be  acceptable 
to  God  that  is  not  Godly  ;  various  arguments  are  employed 
to  prove  this,  also,  to  show  the  necessity  of  adding  Godli- 
ness just  here. 

And,  if  you  would  continue  thus  to  progress, 
you  must  be  careful  to  Add  Godliness.  That  is, 
do,  and  suffer,  every  thing  in  the  spirit  of  devotion 
to  God.  It  is  thus  that  the  Christian  is  distin- 
guished from  the  mere  philosopher,  so  called,  as 
well  as  from  the  stoic  and  the  infidel.  The  latter 
do  and  suffer  uncomplainingly,  it  may  be,  not  in 
the  spirit  of  humble  devotion  to  God,  but  because 
it  would  be  unphilosophical,  unmanly,  not  to  do 
so.  This  may  be  called  fortitude,  but  is  not  Chris- 
tian fortitude  ;  it  is  not  godliness.  Wirz  had  forti- 
t  ide,  or  something  like  it,  but  he  certainly  had  not 

263 


264      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

godliness.  Either  action,  or  inaction,  may  be  the 
result  of  ignorance,  or  the  result  of  knowledge : 
I  may  fear  where  no  fear  is,  or  I  may  not  fear  when  I 
should  fear :  I  may  not  place  confidence  where 
I  should,  or  I  may  place  confidence  where  I  should 
not :  but  mj^  trepidation  in  the  one  case,  and  my 
intrepidation  in  the  other,  are  equally  the  result 
df  ignorance;  and  those  who  are  as  ignorant  as 
myself,  may  give  me  credit  for  both  prudence  and 
fortitude :  jQt  all  was  the  result  of  ignorance,  and 
must,  consequently,  be  very  different  from  Christian 
prudence,  and  Christian  courage,  which  result  from 
Christion  knowledge,  and  Christian  faith,  not  from 
ignorance  and  unbelief.  It  is  equally  certain  that 
what  results  from  ignorance,  whether  action  or 
non-action,  confidence  or  fear,  cannot  be  godli- 
ness ;  but  is,  I  apprehend,  ungodliness ;  for  godli- 
ness results  from  a  knowledge  of  God,  and  faith  in 
God ;  while  the  other  particulars  result  from  the 
very  reverse  of  these,  viz.,  ignorance  and  unbelief. 
Godly  acts,  are  intelligent  acts ;  and  consist  in 
doing  what  God  has  commanded,  and  that  because 
he  has  commanded  it ;  and  in  not  doing  what  he 
has  forbidden,  and  that  because  he  has  forbidden 
it;  and  all  this  beliemngly,  cheerfully,  lovingly. 
This  is  Godliness:  and  this  is  what  we  are  to 
add  to  all  the  previous  graces.  That  is,  let  your 
courage,  your  knowledge,  your  temperance,  and 
your  patience,  all  be  Godly.  "  Whether  you  eat  or 
drink,  or  whatever  you  do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of 
God."  Do  not  "  sacrifice  to  your  own  net,  and 
burn   incense   to    your   own   drag:"    do   not   say^ 


CHRISTIAN     PROGRESSION.  2G5 

"  mj^  power,  and  the  migtit  of  my  hand  hath 
gotten  me  this  wealth.  But  thou  shalt  remember 
the  Lord  thy  God :  for  it  is  he  that  giveth  thee 
power  to  get  wealth  "  Therefore  say  continually^ 
"Not  unto  us,  O  Lord,  not  unto  us,  but. unto  thy 
name  give  glory,  for  thy  mercy,  and  for  thy  truth's 
sake."  This  is  godliness,  and  everj^  thing  short  of 
this,  is  ungodliness,  nay,  it  is  idolatry,  for  it  is 
giving  to  the  creature  what  belongs  to  God.  And, 
let  it  be  distinctly  noticed,  all  your  offerings  must 
be  through  Jesus,  for  it  is  only  through  him  that 
our  off'erings,  and  ourselves,  can  be  acceptable  to 
God.  Therefore,  "  whatsoever  ye  do  in  word  or 
deed,  do  all  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  giving 
thanks  to  God  and  the  Father  b}^  him."  Nothing 
short  of  this  is  Christian  godliness.  And  the  act 
that  is  not  thus  godly,  cannot  be  pleasing  to  God, 
nor  can  he  accept  it. 

Calmet's  definition  of  this  word  is  worthy  of 
notice  here :  "  Godly,  that  which  proceeds  from 
God,  and  is  pleasing  to  him  ;  it  also  signifies  con- 
formity to  his  will,  and  an  assimilation  to  his  char- 
acter." (See  his  Dictionary.)  This  is  an  excellent 
definition  ;  and  what  is  here  said  of  godliness,  is 
true  of  every  thing  in  genuine  religion.  Indeed, 
every  thing  that  proceeds  from  God,  is  like  Mm,  so 
far  as  its  nature  will  admit  of  such  likeness ;  and 
its  design  and  tendencies  are  to  lead  to  God.  You 
ma}''  be  well  assured,  that  whatever  has  not  these 
characteristics,  is  not  of  God.  All  that  comes  from 
God  to  man,  is  characterized  by  Godlike  wisdom, 
goodness,  truthfulness,  and  holiness;  and  is  both 
23 


266  POWER   WITH    GOD   AND   WITH    MEN. 

designed  and  calculated  to  lead  man  to  God.  And 
the  religious  system  or  principle  that  has  not  these 
characteristics,  is  not  of  God.  It  is  true  that  there 
have  been,  and  still  are,  many  attempts  to  imitate 
God,  to  counterfeit  what  comes  from  God ;  and 
while  some  of  these  arc  very  clumsy  attempts,  there 
are  others  which,  to  the  superficial  observer,  may 
appear  as  genuine ;  but,  upon  closer  observation, 
they  will  be  found  entirely  destitute  of  the  two 
grand  characteristics,  namely,  likeness  and  tendency 
to  God.  History  shows  that  all  erroneous  religious 
systems  and  principles  have  led  from  God,  not  to 
him;  and,  whatever  might  be  their  appearance  to 
the  superficial  observer,  they  really  were  not  like 
God ;  they  had  not  the  stamp  of  his  wisdom,  good- 
ness, truthfulness,  holiness.  Both  they  and  their 
votaries  were  destitute  of  godliness,  or  godlikeness. 
Those  who  have  carefully  examined  God's  account 
of  himself,  as  given  in  the  Scriptures,  will  easily 
discover  that  the  various  anti-scriptural  systems 
and  principles  of  this,  or  any  other  age,  or  country, 
are  entirely  destitute  of  a  likeness  to  the  account 
which  he  has  given  of  himself  and  of  his  govern- 
ment. Nor  is  it  difficult  to  see  that  the  same  prin- 
ciples and  systems  are  designed  to  lead  from  the 
Creator  to  the  creature.  For  instance,  it  is  easy  to 
see  that  every  thing  in  Popery  points  and  leads  to 
the  creature.  The  mind  of  the  worshipper  is  con- 
stantly directed  to  the  departed  saint,  the  living 
priest,  the  lifeless  image,  and  the  senseless  cere- 
mony. All  this  is  ungodly,  essentially  so ;  and 
must  be  hateful  to  God,  and  ruinous  to  man  ;  for 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  2Gt 

its  sole  tendency  is,  to  lead  from  the  Creator  to  the 
creature.  Hence,  as  it  did  not  proceed  from  God, 
it  has  not  the  stamp  of  his  wisdom,  goodness, 
truthfulness,  and  holiness.  On  the  contrary,  the 
grand  characteristics  of  the  whole  are  foUy,  bad- 
ness, falsehood,  and  sinfulness.  Other  sj^stems  and 
principles,  though  not  so  obviously  ungodly,  are, 
nevertheless,  equally  so.  Such  are  all  systems 
which  do  not  point  man  to  God  in  Christ  for  all 
good — for  pardon,  holiness,  and  heaven.  They  are 
all  ungodly,  and  lead  from  God.  But  the  godly 
teacher,  and  the  godly  teaching,  constantly  say, 
"  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  who  taketh  awa}^  the 
si  us  of  the  world  I"  This  is  Christianity ;  this  is 
Christian  progression.  Christian  progression  is 
always  to  God  in  Christ ;  retrogression  is  always 
from  God — there  is  no  medium.  The  utmost,  or 
farthest  departure  from  God,  is  the  deepest  hell. 
The  nearest  approach  to  God,  is  the  highest  heaven. 
This  is  to  "  see  the  King  in  his  beauty,  in  the  land 
that  is  far  away."  Far  away,  indeed,  from  all  that 
is  low,  sinful,  evil.  This  is  to  see  God's  face ;  to 
see  him  as  he  is;  to  he  like  him.  To  the  same 
effect  is  that  sublime  prayer  of  our  blessed  Saviour, 
"God  manifested  in  the  flesh"  :  "Father,  I  will  that 
they  also,  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  be  with  me 
where  I  am  ;  that  they  may  behold  my  glory  which 
thou  gavest  me."  The  holy  Apostles  were  per- 
mitted to  have  a  glimpse  of  this  glory  while  on 
earth,  particularly  Peter,  James,  and  John,  in  the 
Holy  Mount.  Hence,  John  says,  "  The  word  was 
made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us,  (and  we  beheld  his 


268  POWER   WITH   GOD    AND    WITH    MEN. 

glory,  the  gloiy  as  of  tbe  only  begotten  of  the 
Father,)  full  of  grace  and  truth."  And  even  in 
heaven,  the  approach  to  the  Infinite  Majesty  is 
through  Christ ;  and  the  glory  of  that  Majesty,  is 
seen  in  Christ,  as  far  as  it  is  seeable.  "  Father,  I 
will  that  they  also,  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  be 
with  me  where  I  am  ;  that  they  may  behold  my 
glory."  It  follows,  that  the  utmost  progress  is  the 
nearest  approach  to  God,  in  heaven  as  well  as  on 
earth,  and  this  approach,  even  in  heaven,  is  through 
our  blessed  Saviour,  who  is  "  the  way,  the  truth, 
and  the  life,"  even  there  ! 

Godliness  in  practice,  is  to  imitate  God  in  every 
thing ; — "  But  I  say  unto  3^ou,  love  your  enemies, 
bless  them  that  curse  you,  do  good  to  them  that 
hate  3'ou,  and  pray  for  them  which  despitefully  use 
you,  and  j)ersecute  you  ;  that  ye  may  be  the  children 
of  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven:  for  he  maketh 
his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and  on  the  good,  and 
sendeth  rain  on  the  just  and  on  the  unjust."  Those 
who  thus  imitate  God,  are  godly ;  they  are  like  their 
Father  in  heaven.  Godliness  is  also  a  moral  like- 
ness to  God, — "  Be  3^e  therefore  hol}^  for  I  the  Lord 
3^our  God  am  holy."  This  is  to  be  "  partakers  of 
his  holiness,"  "  partakers  of  the  divine  nature,"  and 
therefore,  to  be  like  God,  or  godlike.  Then  God 
sees  and  loves  his  own  image  in  the  human  soul : 
then  shall  Christ  **  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul, 
and  shall  be  satisfied  ;"  and  then  too,  shall  his  peo- 
ple "  be  satisfied,  when  they  awake  with  his  like- 
ness," the  likeness  to  God  in  which  they  were 
originally   created,    and   in    which    they   are    how 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  269 

"created  anew  in  Christ  Jesus."  God  and  his  peo- 
ple are  now  satisfied,  the  former,  because  he  has 
restored  what  was  lost,  the  latter,  because  they  have 
received  hack  M^hat  was  lost.  Nothing  short  of  this 
moral  assimilation  to  God,  can  produce  this  mutual 
satisfaction  of  the  created  and  the  Infinite  Mind. 
And  this  is  godliness,  perfect  godliness. 

Finall^^  we  beg  to  remind  the  reader,  that  the 
word  svas^t ta,  translated  godliness,  always  has 
reference  to  God :  and  when  it  is  used  as  the  desig- 
nation of  certain  acts,  it  always  means  such  acts  as 
have  God  for  their  object;  acts  of  piety,  acts  of 
devotion  to  God.  And  as  it  includes  that  holiness 
of  nature  from  which  such  acts  spring,  the  moral 
nature  of  God,  and  that  of  the  holy  worshipper,  it 
follows,  that  it  is  a  very  comprehensive  word.  It 
means,  says  Parkhurst,  "  godliness,  or  the  whole  of 
true  religion ;  so  named,  because  piety  towards 
God  is  the  foundation  and  principal  part  of  it.  See 
Heb.  xi.  6  ;  Matt.  xxii.  37,  38  ;  1  Tim.  iv.  1,  8 ;  vi.  6. 
Comp.  1  Tim.  iii.  16."  In  short,  it  means  all  that 
is  morallj''  good  in  your  coui^age,  your  temperance, 
your  patience :  all  that  is  morally  good  in  your 
heart  and  in  your  life.  In  other  words,  all  your 
acts  and  tempers  are  good  and  acceptable,  only  so 
far  as  they  are  godly.  The  word  being  now  under- 
stood, any  one  can  see  the  importance,  and  feel 
the  force  of  the  exhortation,  "add  godliness,"  espe- 
cially here,  where  there  is  so  much  danger  of  3'onr 
abounding  activities  lacking  this  essential  quality'-, 
Godliness  ! 

23* 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Add  brotherly  kindness.  Your  duty  to  God  will  not  substitute 
for  your  duty  to  your  brother — God  will  not  allow  the 
creature  to  take  his  place,  nor  will  he  take  the  place  of  the 
creature — Love  is  varied  both  by  its  subject  and  object — 
God  will  not  accept  your  gifts,  if  you  have  no  gift  for  your 
brother — He  who  loveth  God,  loveth  his  brother  also — He 
hates  who  does  not  love — Both  the  subject  and  object  of  this 
love  must  be  a  brother — The  difference  between  kindness 
and  brotherly  kndness — A  striking  illustration — God  alone 
can  make  a  brotherhood,  men  may  assume,  or  give  the  name 
but  they  cannot  impart  what  that  name  imports — Each 
preceding  grace  is  essential  to  that  which  follows — This 
order  must  not  be  broken ;  to  progress,  you  must  make  each 
addition  in  its  place. 

But  having  made  all  these  additions,  do  not 
suppose  that  Christian  progression  ends  here.  Not 
so.  Just  here  you  must  add  brotherly  kindness. 
Do  not  suppose  that  your  duty  to  God  is  a  substi- 
tute for  3^our  duty  to  your  fellow.  It  wa.-!  this 
mistake  that  led  men  to  flee  to  the  desert,  and 
become  monks  and  hermits ;  and  in  this  way  they 
soon  became  as  destitute  of  godliness  as  they  were 
of  brotherly  kindness.  Tlie  Christian  graces  go 
together,  support  each  other,  and  will  not  be 
divorced:  no  one  of  them  can  live  alone:  united 
they  live  ;  separated  they  die.  God  will  not  allow 
the  creature  to  take  his  i)lace  in  your  heart,  nor 
2t0 


CHRISTIAN   PROGRESSION.  211 

will  he  take  the  place  of  the  creature.  Godliness 
does  not  exclude  brotherly  kindness,  nor  does 
brotherly  kindness  exclude  godliness.  On  the  con- 
trary, these  graces  mutually  support  and  increase 
each  other.  These  graces  exist  in  the  heart,  or  are 
absent  from  it,  in  reciprocal  proportion.  "  If  a 
man  say,  I  love  God,  and  hateth  his  brother,  he  is 
a  liar.  For  he  that  loveth  not  his  brother,  whom 
he  hath  seen,  how  can  he  love  God,  whom  he  hath 
not  seen  ?  And  this  commandment  have  we  from 
him.  That  he  who  loveth  God,  loveth  his  brother 
also."  Brotherl}^  love  is  simpl}^  a  modification  of 
that  love  which  has  God  for  its  object,  for  love  may 
be  varied  b}^  its  object  as  well  as  bj^  its  subject : 
and  the  gift  of  this  love  may  be  called  brotherly 
kindness,  when  a  brother  is  the  recipient  of  that 
gift.  But  when  God  is  the  object  of  this  love,  it  is 
not  thus  modified;  his  infinite  perfections,  and  his 
munificent  and  unmerited  gifts,  call  forth  this  love 
as  no  other  object  can  ; — "  We  love  him  because  he 
first  loved  us."  But  although  God  is  loved  in 
unlimited  measure  and  fervor,  the  brother  is  not 
excluded  from  his  place ;  on  the  contrarj^,  brotherly 
love,  or  kindness,  increases,  by  a  kind  of  rejection, 
just  in  proportion  as  love  for  God  increases.  My 
loving  God  with  all  my  heart,  does  not  hinder  me 
from  loving  my  neighbor  as  myself,  nor  from  loving 
ni}'  brother  with  a  brotherly  love ;  indeed,  the  latter 
is  the  necessary  result  of  the  former ;  for  the  love 
that  embraces  God,  embraces  the  family  of  God. 
If  a  man  should  profess  to  love  me  while  he  hated 
my    famil}^    I    should    not   believe   his    profession, 


2T2      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

especially  if  I  knew  that  my  family  were  deserving 
of  his  love.  And  just  so  it  is,  precisely,  that  God 
treats  such  a  profession,  as  is  clearly  seen  in  the 
quotations  given  above.  To  the  same  effect  is  the 
following  : — "  Therefore,  if  thou  bring  thy  gift  to 
the  altar,  and  there  rememberest  that  thy  brother 
hath  aught  against  thee,  leave  there  thy  gift  before 
the  altar,  and  go  thy  way ;  first  be  reconciled  to 
thy  brother,  and  then  come  and  offer  thy  gift.'^ 
You  may  offer  your  gifts  to  God,  but  if  3^ou  have 
no  gifts  for  your  brother,  no  brotherly  kindness, 
God  will  not  accept  of  j^our  gifts :  hence  you  are  as 
destitute  of  godliness  as  you  are  of  brotherly  kind- 
ness. If  "thy  brother  hath  aught  against  thee," 
(and  he  certainly  has,  if  you  have  no  brotlierly 
kindness,)  God  also  has  a  charge  against  thee ;  he 
unites  his  charge  with  that  of  the  injured  brother, 
and  till  you  are  reconciled  to  your  brother  you 
cannot  be  reconciled  to  God  : — "  Verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the 
least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto 
me."  Again,  "  Yerily  I  say  unto  you,  inasmuch 
as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye  did  it 
not  to  me.  And  these  shall  go  away  into  everlast- 
ing punishment :  but  the  righteous  into  life  eternal." 
It  is  clear,  then,  that  godliness  and  brotherly  kind- 
ness are  inseparable,  and  that  where  the  latter  is 
not,  neither  is  the  former.  Away,  then,  with  your 
monkish  nonsense,  which  would  separate  godliness 
from,  or  substitute  it  for,  brotherly  kindness.  When 
you  separate  yourself  from  your  brother  you  sep- 
arate  yourself  from  God : — "  These   be   they  who 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  2t3 

separate  themselves,  sensual,  having  not  the  Spirit." 
God  has  not  a  place  for  you,  either  in  heaven  or  on 
earth,  where  you  may,  as  his  children,  live  separate 
from  his  children.  God's  house  is  not  thus  divided 
against  itself:  no,  that  which  separates  3'ou  from 
God's  children,  separates  you  from  God  himself; 
and  that  which  unites  you  to  God,  unites  you  to 
his  people  I  "  He  that  hath  an  ear  let  him  hear" 
these  teachings  of  the  Holy  Spirit !  Have  zeal  for 
God,  but  let  it  be  "  according  to  knowledge  ;"  see 
that  brotherly  kindness  is  added  to  your  godliness, 
and  never  dream  that  you  can  have  the  one  without 
the  other,  for  you  cannot ;  any  more  than  you  can 
have  matter  without  figure,  or  fire  without  heat,  or 
a  sun  without  light,  or  design  without  a  designer, 
or  thought  without  a  thinking  agent ;  or  any  other 
thing  without  its  essential  property ;  for  brotherly 
kindness  is  an  essential  property  of  the  godliness 
here  specified.  "  This  commandment  have  we  from 
him,  that  he  who  loveth  God,  loveth  his  brother 
also."  "  If  a  man  say,  I  love  God,  and  hateth  his 
brother,  he  is  a  liar.  For  he  that  loveth  not  his 
brother,  whom  he  hath  seen,  how  can  he  love  God, 
whom  he  hath  not  seen  ?"  Who  is  he,  then,  who 
undertakes  to  do  this  impossible  thing,  and  at  the 
same  time,  to  make  the  command  of  God  of  none 
eff'ect  ?  I  answer,  that  man  who  profc^^ses,  or  tries, 
to  be  godly,  while  destitute  of  brotherly  kindness ; 
who  professes  to  love  God,  while  he  hates  his 
brother,  that  is,  does  not  love  him,  for  there  is  no 
medium  between  hatred  and  love :  he  hates  who  does 
not  love.     Hatred,  like  love,  may  have  its  degrees ; 


274      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WIXH  MEN. 

but  the  proper  object  of  love  must  be  bated  in  some 
measure,  if  it  is  not  loved  at  all. 

It  should  be  remembered,  however,  that  brotherly 
love,  or  kindness,  must  have  a  brother  for  its  object, 
as  well  as  for  its  subject.  It  is  as  true  in  the 
spiritual,  as  it  is  in  the  natural  order,  that  I  cannot 
love  as  a  brother,  if  I  am  not  a  brother.  I  say  I 
cannot:  I  may,  and  should,  have  a  feeling  of  kind- 
ness, but  it  is  not  brotherly  kindness,  if  I  am  not  a 
brother.  I  cannot  have  feelings  of  brotherly  kind- 
ness before  I  am  a  brother,  anj'-  more  than  I  can 
have  humane  feelings,  before  I  have  the  human 
nature.  For  the  same  reason  I  cannot  love  as  a 
brother,  one  who  is  not  a  brother ;  I  cannot  have 
feelings  of  brotherly  kindness  for  one  who  is  not 
a  brother.  It  were  absurd  in  the  extreme,  to  require 
me  to  have  the  very  same  feelings  of  affection,  the 
same  brotherly  kindness,  for  the  son  of  an  unknown 
woman,  that  I  have  for  my  brother,  the  son  of  my 
mother.  I  may,  and  should  have  feelings  of  kind- 
ness for  such  a  man,  and  these  feelings  will  be  in- 
creased by  a  further  knowledge  of  his  amiable  quali- 
ties ;  but  the  sight  or  death  of  my  own  brother  will 
stir  feelings  away  down  in  the  depths  of  my  nature, 
as  they  are  not,  and  cannot  be  stirred  by  the  sight 
or  death  of  that  stranger.  For  the  same  reason, 
the  laws,  both  of  God  and  man,  require  me  to  act 
toward  a  brother  as  they  do  not  require  me  to  act 
toward  any  other  being.  As  illustrative  of  this 
truth,  let  us  suppose  a  case.  See  that  fine  mansion  ; 
and  see  that  old  man,  weary  and  wayworn,  as  with 
trembling  steps  he  approaches  the  door.     It  is  cold, 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  2T5 

and  his  garments  are  scant^^  and  torn.  The  bell  is 
rung,  and  at  its  call  a  well-dressed  and  fine-looking 
lady  opens  the  door,  and  is  thus  briefly  addressed 
b}^  the  wayworn  stranger,  "  Madam,  I  am  hungry 
and  cold,  and  am  not  able  to  go  farther ;  will  you 
allow  me  shelter  in  your  house  for  the  night  ?"  The 
good  lady  takes  him  by  the  hand,  leads  him  to  one 
of  her  comfortable  rooms,  causes  him  to  be  stripped, 
washed,  and  clothed.  He  is  then  fed  with  food 
convenient  for  him;  he  is  invited  to  bow  with  the 
family  in  the  devotions  of  the  evening;  and,  finally, 
he  is  led  tb  a  comfortable  bedroom,  where  he  rests 
in  peace,  and  is  refreshed,  body  and  soul.  In  the 
morning,  the  good  woman  shows  him  similar  kind- 
ness, and  after  worship  and  breakfast,  she  opens 
the  door  for  his  departure,  slips  a  sum  of  money 
into  his  hand,  and  bids  him  good  morning,  never 
again  expecting  to  see  him  in  this  world.  Now,  her 
conscience  approves  of  her  conduct  toward  this  old 
man  ;  and  the  word  of  God  adds  its  stamp  of  ap- 
proval ;  and  her  neighbors  admire  and  praise  her 
trul}^  Christian  hospitality ;  and  who  does  not  ? 
But  suppose  that,  upon  opening  the  door,  she  dis- 
covered that  this  wayworn  old  man  was  none  other 
than  her  own  brother;  yes,  her  brother  Edwin,  with 
whom,  long,  long  ago,  she  was  v/ont  to  play  in  her 
father's  lawn,  and  repose  on  her  mother's  lap. 
Yes,  this  same  Edwin,  after  so  many  years,  and 
after  strange  reverses  of  fortune,  now  unexpectedly 
stands  before  her,  a  wayworn  old  man,  trembling 
with  cold,  weary  with  his  journey,  faint  with  hun- 
ger, and  weary  of  life !     Now,  suppose  she  should 


276  POWER    AVITH   OOD    AND  WITH   MEN. 

receive  this  same  Edwin,  knowing  him  to  be  her 
brother,  and  treat  him  with  all  the  kindness  we  have 
supposed  in  the  former  case,  and  then  in  the  morn- 
ing, coolly  send  him  away,  never  again  expecting  to 
see  her  brother  Edwin  in  this  world ;  would  her 
neighbors,  and  the  word  of  God,  to  say  nothing 
about  her  conscience,  approve  of,  and  praise  her 
conduct  in  this  instance  ?  No,  they  would  all  con- 
demn her,  and  so  would  her  conscience,  if  she  had 
any.  Why  so  ?  Simply  because  the  stranger  was 
entitled  to  kindness,  and  he  had  it ;  but  the  brother 
was  entitled  to  brotherly  kindness,  and  he  had  it 
not.  The  fact  is,  however,  a  woman  who  would 
treat  a  stranger  as  we  have  supposed,  could  not 
possibly  treat  a  brother  in  the  same  way.  No,  the 
first  sight  of  her  own  brother  Edwin  would  rouse  a 
sister's  feelings,  which  a  sister  could  not  control, 
and  for  which  she  was  neither  to  be  praised  nor 
blamed  :  but  the  extent  to  which  she  might  culti- 
vate, or  destroy,  such  feelings,  would  be  just  cause 
for  praise  or  blame.  It  is  certain,  however,  we 
think,  that  most  sisters,  or  brothers,  would  never 
allow  poor  unfortunate  Edwin  to  leave  that  rich 
mansion  till  he  should  be  carried  to  his  resting- 
place  in  the  city  of  the  dead  :  and  we  are  sure  none 
would,  who  would  add  to  their  godliness  brotherly 
kindness. 

Let  it  be  well  observed  then,  that  a  brother  is 
entitled  to  brotherly  kindness,  and  he  only.  And 
let  it  also  be  well  observed,  that  none  but  a  brother 
can  impart  brotherly  kindness,  for  he  only  has  it 
to  impart,  and  none  can  give  what  they  do  not  pos- 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  277 

sess.  I  may,  and  should  show  kindness  to  a  horse, 
much  kindness ;  and,  if  I  mistake  not,  I  have  had 
horses,  and  dogs  too,  which  have  manifested  much 
kindness  toward  me ;  but  in  all  this  there  was  no 
hr'Aherly  kindness,  and  could  not  be.  Wh^^  ? 
Because  we  were  not  brothers,  and  could  not  be. 
Now,  I  rejoice  to  know,  and  believe,  that  there  is  a 
sense  in  which  all  men  are  brothers :  but  I  also 
believe,  that  there  is  a  sense,  a  very  important  sense, 
in  which  all  men  are  not  brothers ;  and,  conse- 
quently, a  sense  in  which  all  men  have  not  brotherly 
kindness  for  each  other ;  and  never  will  till  in  a 
corresponding  sense  they  are  brothers.  And  in 
that  sense  God  alone  can  make  them  brothers,  either 
natural  brothers,  or  spiritual  brothers.  Neither 
legal  documents,  so-called,  nor  mathematical  instru- 
ments, nor  monastic  vows,  nor  priestly  ceremonies, 
nor  Jesuitical  combinations,  nor  inquisitorial  tribu- 
nals, nor  Pharisaic  righteousness,  can  make  men 
brothers ;  neither  can  all  of  them  put  together,  nor 
any  thing  else  that  man  can  do.  There  are  but 
two  wa^'s  in  which  human  beings  are  constituted 
brothers,  viz :  by  a  natural,  and  by  a  spiritual  birth. 
The  former  are  born  of  the  flesh,  the  latter  of  the 
Spirit ;  the  former  are  a  brotherhood  having  a  man 
for  their  parent,  the  latter  are  a  brotherhood  having 
God  for  their  parent ;  and  by  this  birth  they  have 
mutual  brotherly  affections  which  nothing  else  can 
possibly  give  them.  After  this  birth,  brotherly 
kindness  may  be  vastly  increased  by  proper  cultiva- 
tion and  the  grace  of  God ;  or  it  may  be  partially 
impaired,  or  \^ holly  destroyed,  by  sin:  but  to  cx- 
24 


278  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH   MEN. 

pect  this  brotherly  kindness  without  the  hirth,  is 
like  expecting  a  crop  without  the  seed  ;,  to  expect  a 
spiritual  brotherhood,  without  a  spiritual  birth,  is 
like  expecting  a  human  family  without  the  human 
nature. — "  Yerily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  except  a 
man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of 

God." "  Yerily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee, 

except  a  man  be  born  of  water,  and  of  the  Spirit, 
he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  That 
which  is  born  of  the  flesh,  is  flesh ;  and  that  which 
is  born  of  the  Spirit,  is  spirit.  Marvel  not  that  I 
said  unto  thee,  ye  must  be  born  again."  Men  may 
assume  or  give  the  name,  but  they  cannot  impart 
what  that  name  imports  ;  and  it  imports  something 
without  which  no  son  or  daughter  of  Adam  can  see 
or  entei'  the  kingdom  of  God.  If  God  has  any 
other  way  of  constituting  the  children  of  men 
brothers,  with  brotherly  kindness,  he  certainly  has 
not  revealed  it.  And  to  give  or  receive  the  name 
without  the  thing  which  that  name  imports,  is  like 
the  practice  of  those  maniacs  who  give  or  receive 
the  titles  of  kings  and  princes,  while  they  are 
absolutely  destitute  of  all  that  such  titles  imply. 
Hence,  as  we  observed  at  the  very  outstart,  the 
Apostle  addresses  this  exhortation  "  to  them  that 
have  obtained  like  precious  faith  with  us  through 
the  righteousness  of  God  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ." 
He  does  not  exhort  unbelievers  to  add  these  things, 
for  they  have  not  the  faith  to  which  all  these  things 
are  to  be  added,  just  as  all  the  stones  in  a  building 
are  to  be  added  to  the  foundation.  He  who  under- 
takes to  add  these  things  before  he  is  justified  by 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  2t9 

faith,  undertakes  to  build  without  a  foundation. 
This  is  the  error  of  the  Pharisee  ;  and  the  things  he 
substitutes  for  these  things  are  like  wood,  hay,  stub- 
hie,  which  will  be  consumed  in  the  day  of  the  Lord. 
"  Every  man's  work  shall  be  made  manifest :  for  the 
day  shall  declare  it,  because  it  shall  be  revealed  by 
fire ;  and  the  fire  shall  try  every  man's  work,  of 
what  sort  it  is;"  and  nothing  will  stand  the  test  of 
that  fire  but  the  things  here  specified.  With  these 
things  the  three  Hebrew  children  were  Jire-proof 
even  in  Nebuchadnezzar's  furnace,  but  wood,  hay, 
and  stubble,  would  have  offered  little  resistance  to 
that  sevenfold  heat ;  and  the  iavention-s  of  men  shall 
offer  still  less  resistance  to  the  fire  that  shall  try 
their  work  in  the  great  and  terrible  day  of  the  Lord, 
when  "  the  fire  shall  try  every  man's  work  of  what 
sort  it  is." 

Once  more.  Let  it  be  well  observed,  that  in 
this  divine  summary  of  the  Christian  graces,  each 
following  grace  is  added  to  that  which  went 
before,  and  which,  consequently,  previously  existed  ; 
whether  b}^  this  is  meant  the  addition  of  the 
entire  specification,  or  that  of  a  larger  measure 
of  it,  the  fact  is  the  same. — Thus,  courage  is  added 
to  faith,  which  is  the  basis  upon  which  the  whole 
column  rests ;  while  faith  itself  rests  upon  the 
atonement.  And  knowledge  is  added  to  courage, 
and  temperance  to  knowledge ;  patience  to  temper- 
ance, godliness  to  patience,  and  brotherly  kindness 
to  godliness.  Hence,  the  existence  of  each  pre- 
ceding grace,  is  essential  to  the  existence  of  that 
which  follows.     Neither  one  can  precede  the  fore- 


280  POWER    WITH    GOD  AND  WITH    MEN. 

going  in  the  sense  in  which  we  are  here  exhorted  , 
to  make  the  addition.  This  divine  order  demands 
strict  attention,  for  it  is  the  order  in  which  Chris- 
tian progression  is  conducted,  and  it  is  essential 
to  its  continuance.  For  instance ;  under  certain' 
circumstances  I  may  be  very  willing  to  add  know- 
ledge, temperance,  or  patience ;  but  may  not  be 
so  willing  to  add  godliness ;  or  I  may  be  willing 
to  add  godliness,  iu  my  way  of  thinking,  but  may 
not  be  at  all  willing  to  add  brotherly  kindness ;  but 
I  cannot  choose  and  reject  in  this  way ;  God's 
order  will  not  be  reversed  and  thrown  into  confu- 
sion in  this  way  ;  and  if  I  do  not  add  brotherly 
kindness,  progression  will  terminate  just  here. 
Neither  can  I  retain  my  previous  position ;  for, 
in  the  absence  of  brotherly  kindness,  all  the  pre- 
ceding graces  must  languish  and  die,  it  may  be, 
by  almost  insensible  degrees.  And  just  in  this 
way,  it  is,  I  apprehend,  that  thousands  backslide. 
Let  us,  then,  carefully  observe  the  divine  order, 
and  make  every  addition  in  its  proper  i^lace,  and 
that  with  promptness  and  earnestness ;  for,  to  hesi- 
tate, in  a  single  instance,  when  the  peculiar  addi- 
tion is  called  for,  particularly  that  of  brotherly 
kindness,  to  hesitate,  I  say,  may  result  in  a  conclu- 
sion not  to  make  the  addition  ;  and  then  retrogres- 
sion immediately  takes  place,  for  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  standing  still :  onward  or  backward,  is 
the  fixed  unalterable  law.  And  if  you  have  pro- 
gressed thus  far,  and  an  addition  of  brotherly 
kindness  is  called  for  just  here,  and  it  is  called 
for,  even   by  the   progress   you   have  made,  then 


CHRTSTTAN    PROGRESSION.  281 

make  the  addition,  with  promptness  and  full-heart- 
edness,  and  you  have  passed  the  point  of  danger ; 
and  have  only  to  spread  your  sails  to  catch  the 
increasing  heavenly  gale,  which  will  carry  j^ou  with 
increased  and  increasing  speed  directly  towards 
the  port  of  glory 

24* 


CHAPTER   XII. 

Add  Love^  which  takes  a  much  wider  range  than  brotherly  kind- 
ness. How  Peter  was  led  to  make  this  addition,  and  how  his 
other  graces  were  increased  thereby — Had  he  not  made  this 
addition  here,  he  would  have  progressed  no  further,  but  would 
have  backslidden,  as  many  do  just  at  this  point — A  striking 
resemblance  between  Peter  and  John  Wesley  at  this  point- 
How  they  and  others  continued  to  be  a  power,  while  others 
ceased  to  be  a  power — There  is  nothing  that  will  substitute 
for  this  love — A  striking  incident  in  illustration — The 
addition  of  love  is  shown  to  be  absolutely  necessary. 

After  this  you  may  have  fair  sailing  for  a  time, 
wind  and  tide  being  both  in  your  favor ;  but  do  not 
suppose  that  no  further  addition  is  to  be  made,  or 
that  between  you  and  the  distant  port  there  is  no 
other  point  of  danger.  Not  so :  the  fisherman  of 
Galilee  had  a  very  different  experience,  and  accord- 
ingly, gives  very  different  advice.  Here  it  is : — 
And  to  brotherly  kindness  add  love.  Peter  had  a 
goodly  measure  of  this  excellent  grace,  brotherly 
kindness,  before  he  had  the  vision  in  the  house  of 
"  one  Simon  a  tanner,  by  the  sea-side  ;"  but  he  was 
not  so  well  supplied  with  that  thing  called  love.  This 
takes  a  much  wider  range  than  brotherly  kindness. 
The  latter  extended  very  readily  to  his  brethren  in 
Judea,  who  were  Christians  of  the  stock  of  Abra- 
ham ;  but  it  did  not  extend  to  the  "  unclean" 
282 


CFTRTSTTAN    PROGRESSION.  283 

creatures  who  were  far  off  among  the  Gentiles — 
these  were  not  the  proper  objects  of  "brotherly 
kindness ;"  and  Peter,  the  Jew,  though  now  a 
Christian,  will  leave  these  unclean  creatures  where 
they  are,  and  as  they  are,  unless  love  is  added  to 
his  brother!}^  kindness.  And  unless  this  is  done, 
he  will  backslide,  as  sure  as  he  lives.  Yes,  he  will 
surely  backslide,  unless  he  carries  the  Gospel  to 
the  perishing  Gentiles  ;  and  this  he  will  not  do,  un- 
less love  is  added.  We  have  known  a  great  many 
who  actually  did  backslide,  just  at  this  point ;  and 
all  will,  who  do  not  add  love  just  here,  and  that  in 
sufficient  quantit}^  to  cany  them  far  hence  to  the 
Gentiles.  To  make  this  addition  was  no  easy  mat- 
ter in  the  case  of  Peter.  His  Jewish  ignorance  and 
prejudices  had  to  be  removed,  and  his  judgment 
corrected.  To  do  this,  God  employed  the  singular 
vision  recorded  in  the  tenth  chapter  of  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles,  and  to  which  it  is  only  necessar}^  to 
refer,  it  being  well  known.  But,  what  deserves 
special  notice,  is  the  fact,  that  his  Christian  pro- 
gression was  continued  in  precisely'  the  same  way 
that  is  marked  out  in  the  Scripture  under  con- 
sideration. He  had  faith,  and,  in  short,  all  the 
other  particulars :  but  the3^  must  all  be  increased, 
and  increased  now  ;  and  that  by  making  additions 
as  here  directed.  His  knowledge  was  increased, 
especially,  by  adding  this  important  truth,  viz  :  that 
''  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons  ;  but,  in  every 
nation,  he  that  feareth  God,  and  worketh  righteous- 
ness, is  accepted  of  him."  Nor  had  he  this  increase 
of  knowledore,   till   he  added   sufficient    couraore  to 


284  POWER   WTTII    GOD   AND    WITH    MEN. 

enable  him  to  2,0  with  the  three  strangers,  and  enter 
into  the  midst  of  those  Gentiles  who,  in  the  vision, 
had  been  represented  to  him  by  a  variety  of  un- 
clean and  dangerous  creatures.  Nor  can  we  doubt 
that  this  required  considerable  courage,  especially 
when  we  take  into  the  account  his  previous  views, 
and  the  opposition,  the  conscientious  opposition, 
that  he  knew  he  would  have  to  meet  with  from  his 
own  countrymen,  and  even  from  his  own  Christian 
brethren.  His  temperance,  too,  underwent  quite  ' 
change.  Hitherto,  his  feelings  and  views,  and, 
consequently,  his  conduct  toward  the  Gentiles, 
were  very  intemperate,  and  even  superstitious. 
But  now  he  is  wonderfully  changed  in  all  these 
particulars.  His  godliness,  too,  is  vastly  in- 
creased. He  now  feels,  and  thinks,  and  acts,  more 
like  God,  than  he  ever  did  before.  His  brotherly 
kindness,  also,  is  wonderfully  increased.  It  now 
extends  to  all  who  fear  God  and  work  righteous- 
ness, even  among  the  Gentiles  ;  and  still  more  to 
those  who  are  made  partakers  of  like  precious  faith 
with  himself  I  presume  he  has  now  as  much 
brotherly  kindness  for  the  Gentile  as  for  the  Jewish 
Christians.  And  he  evidently  has  a  degree  of  love 
that  he  never  had  before.  And  this  increase  of 
love  so  swells  his  old  Jewish  heart,  that  it  embraces 
the  entire  Gentile  world.  Hence,  he  preaches  just 
as  well  in  Cesarea  as  he  did  in  Jerusalem,  and  with 
similar  effect.  And,  what  wonderfully  surprised, 
and  equally  delighted,  the  honest  fisherman,  was 
the  fact,  that  he  thus  records,  in  answer  to  those 
who   "  contended  with   him,  saying.  Thou  wentest 


CHRISTIAN   PROGRESSION.  285 

in    to    men    uncircumcised,    and    didst    eat    with 

them." 

After  relating  how  God  led  him  to  do  so,  and 
also  stating  what  he  preached,  he  adds,  "  And  as  I 
began  to  speak,  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  them  as 
upon  ns  at  the  beginning.  Then  remembered  I  the 
word  of  the  Lord,  how  that  he  said,  John  indeed 
baptized  with  water ;  but  ye  shall  be  baptized  with 
the  Holy  Ghost.  Forasmuch  then  as  God  gave 
them  the  like  gift  as  he  did  unto  us,  who  believed 
on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  what  was  I,  that  I  could 
withstand  God.  When  they  heard  these  things 
they  held  their  peace  and  glorified  God,  saying, 
then  hath  God  also  to  the  Gentiles  granted  re- 
pentance unto  life."  See  what  good  resulted  from 
the  Christian  progression  of  one  man  I  To  him- 
self and  others,  both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  in  Joppa, 
in  Cesarea,  in  Jerusalem,  and  elsewhere ;  and 
the  good  results  continue  to  this  day.  Had  not 
Peter  added  courage,  by  which  he  obeyed  the 
divine  command,  followed  the  leadings  of  provi- 
dence, went  and  preached  to  the  Gentiles,  and  thus 
made  glorious  additions  to  all  his  Christian  graces, 
he  would  have  progressed  no  further,  but  would 
have  remained  in  Joppa,  and,  it  may  be,  have  died 
there  a  backslider.  0  how  man}^  remain  at  Joppa, 
when  they  should  go  on  to  Cesarea  and  preach  the 
gospel  to  the  perishing  Gentiles !  Nor  is  there  any 
remedy  for  this  sore  evil,  but  that  here  recom- 
mended by  this  same  Peter;  make  all  these  addi- 
tions as  here  directed,  and  especially  add  Zoue, 
without  which  you  will  never  go  and  preach  the 


286      POWER  WITH  aOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

gospel  to  those  perishing  creatures  who  were  repre- 
sented to  Peter  by  what  he  saw  in  the  sheet :  a  sight 
that  will  frighten  any  one  that  has  not  a  large  and 
increasing  amount  of  faith,  courage,  knowledge, 
temperance,  patience,  godliness,  brotherly  kindness, 
and  LOVE  !  It  will  be  seen,  too,  that  by  continuing 
to  progress,  Peter  continued  to  be  a  power.  His 
day  of  power  did  not  end  with  the  day  of  Pentecost; 
no,  he  was  the  same  man  of  power  in  Cesarea  that 
he  had  been  in  Jerusalem.  And  that  power  pro- 
duced among  the  Gentiles  the  very  same  effects 
that  it  produced  among  the  Jews.  Now,  I  ask, 
would  this  have  been  the  case  if  he  had  disobeyed 
the  divine  call  and  remained  at  Joppa  when  he  was 
ordered  to  Cesarea  ?  To  this  question  there  is  but 
one  answer,  and  that  is  no.  And  he  certainly 
would  have  remained  there,  would  not  have  went 
to  Cesarea,  liad  he  not  made  the  necessary  additions 
as  above  stated,  without  the  necessary  faith,  cour- 
age, knowledge,  godliness,  and  love ;  he  would  not, 
he  could  not,  have  went  on  that  mission  ;  and  he 
could  have  offered  as  good  reasons  for  not  going, 
as  those  which  are  offered  by  thousands  as  an  ex- 
cuse for  similar  disobedience.  But  their  excuses 
do  not  alter  the  fact,  viz  :  that  the}^  remain  at  Joppa 
while  men  like  Peter  go  on  to  Cesarea.  The  result 
is,  of  course,  that  the  latter  progress  and  continue 
to  be  a  power,  while  the  former  backslide  and  be- 
come powerless,  like  other  men.  It  must  be  so  ;  it 
positively  cannot  be  otherwise  ;  the  contrary  suppo- 
sition is  downright  antinomianism  !  0  yQ  who  are 
at  Joppa  when  yQ  should  be  at  Cesarea,  lounging 


CHRISTIAN   PROGRESSION.  287 

and  sleeping  away  your  time  at  the  house  of  some 
friend  by  the  sea-side,  when  you  should  be  preach- 
ing the  gospel  to  the  perishing  Gentiles ;  hear  the 
call  of  God  before  it  be  too  late  ;  hark,  it  comes  even 
to  you.  "  Rise,  Peter !  Behold  three  men  seek  thee. 
Arise,  therefore,  and  get  thee  down,  and  go  with 
them,  nothing  doubting:  for  I  have  sent  them." 
Yes,  God  calls  ;  "  the  Master  calleth  for  thee  ;"  the 
perishing  Gentiles  call  for  thee,  and  men  are  even 
now  at  thy  door  imploring  help ;  and  God  says : 
"  Go  with  them,  nothing  doubting :  for  I  have  sent 
them."  It  is  folly,  worse  than  folly,  for  you  to 
dream  and  talk  about  power,  till  3'ou  obey  that  call. 
If  you  are  in  Joppa  when  you  should  be  in  Cesarea, 
3^ou  may  remain  there,  talking  about  power,  and 
about  entire  sanctification,  till  the  last  trumpet 
sounds ;  but  3^ou  will  talk,  yea,  and  pray  in  vain, 
till  you  obey  that  call.  God  says :  "  What  doest 
thou  here  Elijah?"  or  the  Spirit  says,  as  he  did  to 
Peter,  "Arise,  go!"  and  unless  you  do  as  he  com- 
mands, you  may  talk  ever  so  prettily  about  "  power, 
holiness,  entire  sanctification,  and  men  of  power," 
but  the  first  power  that  will  reach  you  will  be  the 
power  that  punishes  the  disobedient.  God  save  us 
from  that  power,  and,  to  that  end,  save  us  from  dis- 
obedience. 

The  fact,  that  there  is  a  striking  resemblance 
between  the  case  of  Peter  and  that  of  John  Wesley, 
deserves  a  passing  notice  just  here.  Peter,  even 
after  his  conversion,  was  so  controlled  by  prejudices 
resulting  from  the  erroneous  teachings  of  Scribes 
and  Pharisees,  that  he  would  not  go  in  unto  the 


288  POWER   WITH    GOD   AND    WITH    MEN. 

Gentiles  and  preach  the  Gospel  unto  them,  till  God 
corrected  his  judgment,  and  increased  his  love,  as 
stated  above.  Just  so  it  was  with  John  Wesley, 
till  God  corrected  and  qualified  him  as  he  did  Peter. 
In  reference  to  this  fact,  Mr.  Wesley  makes  the 
following  record.^"  Saturday,  March  31,  1839.  In 
the  evening  I  reached  Bristol,  and  met  Mr.  White- 
field  there.  I  could  scarce  reconcile  myself  at  first 
to  this  strange  way  of  preaching  in  the  fields,  of 
which  he  set  me  an  example  on  Sunday  ;  having 
been  all  my  life  (till  very  lately)  so  tenacious  of 
every  point  relating  to  decency  and  order,  that  I 
should  have  thought  the  saving  of  sovils  almost  a 
sin,  if  it  had  not  been  done  in  a  church."  Just  so 
it  was  with  Peter ;  he,  too,  was  still  adhering  to  the 
rules  of  "decency  and  order"  as  laid  down  by 
Scribes  and  Pharisees,  who  had  long  made  the  woi^d 
of  God  of  none-effect  by  their  traditions.  The  Scribes 
and  Pharisees  of  olden  times  talked  largely  and 
loudly  about  the  temple,  the  temple ;  but  would 
leave  the  Gentiles  to  perish,  unwarned  and  unpitied. 
Just  so  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  of  later  times; 
they,  too,  talked  largely  and  loudly-  about  the  church, 
the  church ;  but,  like  their  ancestors,  the}^,  too, 
would  leave  the  poor  Gentiles  to  perish  unwarned 
and  unpitied  ;  and  all  this  they  called  "decency  and 
order,"  What  strange  ideas  Pharisees  have  of 
"  decency  and  order  !"  But  the  God  who  delivered 
Peter  from  this  dreadful  delusion,  also  delivered  the 
Wesleys,  Whitefield,  and  others.  And  the  result 
was,  they  became  a  power  for  good.     The  power 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  289 

that  was  felt  in  the  dwelling  of  Cornelius  in  Cesarea, 
was  now  equally  felt  in  the  humble  dwellings  of  the 
poor  in  England ;  and  not  less  so  in  the  streets,  the 
highwaj's,  and  the  fields  ;  while  the  Scribes  and 
Pharisees,  as  of  old,  adhered  to  their  own  inven- 
tions, boasted  of  their  vast  stone  buildings,  and  were 
satisfied  with  the  form  without  the  power.  But  the 
gospel,  which  had  been  excluded  from  those  old  gray 
temples,  triumphed  in  the  dwellings  of  the  poor, 
in  the  streets,  the  lanes,  the  highways,  and  the 
fields  ;  and  was  felt  to  be  "  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation,"  in  London  and  Bristol,  just  as  much  so, 
as  it  had  been  in  Jerusalem  and  Cesarea,  when 
Peter  preached  it  in  those  places.  And  why  ? 
Because  it  was  again  preached  by  men  who  followed 
the  Lord  fullj^ ;  men  who  did  not  remain  at  Joppa, 
but  went  on  to  Cesarea  at  the  command  of  the 
Lord  ;  men  who  "  added  to  their  faith,  courage ;  and 
to  their  courage,  knowledge ;  and  to  knowledge, 
temperance;  and  to  temperance,  patience;  and  to 
patience,  godliness ;  and  to  godliness,  brotherly 
kindness  ;  and  to  brotherly  kindness,  love.''^  And, 
observe,  others  would  have  been  a  similar  power, 
had  they  been  equally  obedient  to  the  heavenly 
calling.  But,  instead  of  this,  the^^  remained  Phari- 
sees, Sadducees,  or  Herodians ;  or  having  started, 
they  continued  the  progress  for  a  time,  and  becom- 
ing weary  of  well-doing,  they  refused  to  add  love  ; 
refused,  consequentl}^,  to  go  on  to  Cesarea ;  sat 
down  and  fell  asleep  at  Joppa ;  and  died  there  I 
while  Wesley  and  others,  went  on  singing, 
25 


290      *      POWER   WITH   GOD   AND   WITH    MEN. 

"  0  that  without  a  lingering  groan, 
I  may  the  welcome  word  receive ; 
My  body  with  my  charge  lay  down, 
And  cease  at  once  to  work  and  live." 

Thus,  obedient  to  the  heavenly  calling,  they  pur- 
sued their  illustrious  career,  exclaiming,  "the  love 
of  Christ  constraineth  us,"  "  so  that  from  Jerusa- 
lem, and  round  about  unto  Illyricum,"  they  "  fully 
preached  the  gospel  of  Christ."  But  those  who  did 
not  add  love,  were  constrained  by  a  very  different 
influence ;  constrained,  not  to  urge  their  way 
"through  every  city  and  village,"  like  their  Master, 
*' preaching  the  gospel,"  but  to  settle  at  Joppa,  or 
some  other  watering  place,  and  there  in  ease  and 
indolence  end  their  days  in  obscurity.  There  is 
nothing  in  the  gift  of  God  that  will  substitute  for 
this  love ;  nothing  that  will  constrain  men  to  live 
and  labor  as  did  the  Apostles,  the  Wesleys,  White- 
field,  and  others,  but  this  love :  no,  nothing.  And, 
as  Christian  progress  implies  a  life  of  benevolent 
toil  for  the  good  of  others,  and  for  the  glory  of 
God ;  it  is  folly  to  talk  about  Christian  progress, 
unless  you  add  love  to  all  your  other  attainments ; 
that  is,  unless  you  grow  in  love,  as  well  as  know- 
ledge; not  "brotherly  kindness,"  but  love  that  ex- 
tends to,  and  embraces  every  child  of  man.  With- 
out this  your  Christian  progress  must  terminate 
just  here ;  without  it  further  progress  is  simply  im- 
possible. You  might  as  well  expect  a  man  to  walk 
without  feet,  or  a  bird  to  fly  without  wings  ;  as  ex- 
pect a  man  to  do  the  work  of  a  Christian  without 
love.  The  following  incident  may  serve  as  an  illus- 


CHRISTIAN   PROGRESSION".  291 

t  rati  Oil  of  this  truth.  A  j^oung  man  who  had  been 
brought  up  in  easy  circumstances,  and  received  a 
liberal  education,  was  offered  as  a  candidate  for  the 
Ministry  in  the  British  Conference.  The  Rev. 
Richard  Reece,  with  whom  the  writer  had  the  plea- 
sure of  being  acquainted,  and  from  whom  he  received 
wholesome  counsel  when  a  youth,  had  some  doubts 
about  the  young  man,  and  thus  put  him  to  the  test ; 
— "Now,"  said  the  venerable  itinerant,  addressing 
himself  to  the  young  candidate,  "  as  a  minister 
among  us,  j^ou  will  have  to  travel  long  journe^^s,  in 
all  weathers,  by  night  and  by  day ;  often  over  bad 
roads,  sometimes  hungry ;  and  will  have  to  sleep, 
it  may  be,  in  cold  houses  and  damp  beds ;  and,  in 
short,  submit  to  many  other  inconveniences."  The 
young  man  heard  all  this  with  profound  attention, 
and  wisely  concluded  that  he  would  not  be  an  itine- 
rant :  for  the  special  measure  of  love  that  always 
accompanies  the  special  call,  being  wanting,  he 
could  not  do  that  special  work.  But,  observe,  I  do 
not  say  that  this  love  is  rendered  necessary  merely 
by  those  physical  diflBculties  which  accompany  the 
work  of  the  Christian :  these,  doubtless,  have  their 
influence  in  keeping  men  at  Joppa  when  they  should 
go  on  to  Cesarea :  but  this  love  is  morally  and  ah- 
iiolutely  necessary,  as  the  brotherhood  is  properly, 
and  necessarily,  the  object  of  "brotherly  kindness  ;" 
while  the  love  here  specified  has  God  for  its  object, 
and  also  the  whole  human  family,  not  brethren 
merely,  whether  natural  or  spiritual.  In  short, 
there  is  much  of  the  Christian  work  that  cannot,  or 
will  not,  be  performed,  when  this  love  is  wanting; 


292      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

and  if  it  were  performed,  as  to  the  outward  act,  it 
would  not  be  acceptable  to  God,  not  having  the 
necessary  moral  quality.  Therefore,  to  all  the  pre- 
ceding graces,  add  love,  or  your  Christian  progress 
must  terminate  just  here;  and  where  progression 
terminates,  there  retrogression  commences. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

All  ''these  things"  are  to  be  "in  you,"  and  are  the  fruit  of  the 
Spirit — The  grand  distinction  between  a  Christian  and  a 
Pharisee — They  are  all  of  grace,  yet  not  without  the  willing 
co-operation  of  the  subject — All  these  things  being  in  you, 
the}  are  to  abound — Between  this  and  retrogression  there 
is  no  medium — Meaning  of  the  words  apyouc,  and  aKcpTrcvc 
— These  things  being  in  you  and  abounding,  you  cannot 
possibly  be  inactive,  and  the  action  is  of  such  a  nature  that 
fruitfulness  must  be  the  result — This  action  is  irresistible, 
bidding  defiance  to  every  opposing  power— Hence  all  such 
Christians  progress,  and  are  a  power — Idleness,  inaction,  or 
elothfulness,  must  result  from  a  want  of  faith,  courage^  or 
love — Faith,  courage,  and  love  are  the  great  moving  powers; 
those  who  have  them  are  readj^  for  every  good  work,  making 
tents  like  Paul ;  or,  like  Jesus,  preparing  a  breakfast  for  the 
hungry  disciples  by  the  sea-shore,  when  necessary — A 
country  inhabited  by  such  a  people  must  be  prosperous — 
All  this  is  confirmed  by  the  facts  of  history — A  point  of 
great  importance — The  Apostle  connects  all  with  the  know- 
ledge of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ — A  man  may  be  idle  and  un- 
fruitful in  the  knowledge  of  Plato,  Socrates,  and  other  men 
of  fame,  but  not  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
— To  have  life  and  power,  we  must  be  connected  with  Jesus 
in  the  way  specified  by  the  Apostle,  for  no  other  being  has 
either  life  or  power  to  give  to  man. 

But  having  made  all  these  additions,  what  then  ? 
Has  Christian  progression  now  reached  its  utmost 
25*  293 


294  POWER   WITH    GOD   AND    WITH    MEN. 

limit?  So  far  from  this,  the  Apostle  conveys  the 
idea  that  you  will  now  progress  with  a  rapidity 
which  was  hitherto  rendered  impossible  by  the  im- 
perfect development  of  3^our  intellectual  and  moral 
character.  Hear  him.  "  If  these  things  be  in  you, 
and  abound,  they  make  you  that  ye  shall  neither  be 
barren  nor  unfruitful  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ."  Observe,  all  these  things  are  in  you. 
Here  is  the  first  grand  characteristic  of  a  genuine 
Christian,  and  that  by  which  he  is  essentially  dis- 
tinguished from  a  Pharisee.  The  things  by  which 
the  latter  would  recommend  himself  to  God,  such  as 
"mint,  anise,  and  cummin,''  are  in  his  garden,  or 
elsewhere,  not  in  him.  His  acts  of  devotion  too,  are 
tuerely  outward,  they  do  not  spring  from  the  inward 
living  principles  here  specified ;  these  are  only  in 
the  genuine  Christian  and  are  directly  from  God, 
"who  worketh  all  in  all."  This  grand  idea  is  beau- 
tifully expressed  by  Charles  Wesley  in  the  follow- 
ing lines : 

"Thou  all  our  v/orks  in  us  hast  wrought: 
Our  good  is  all  divine  : 
The  praise  of  every  virtuous  thought 
And  righteous  word,  is  thine. 

"From  thee,  through  Jesus,  we  receive 
The  power  on  thee  to  call. 
In  whom  we  are,  and  move  and  live: 
Our  God  is  all  in  all." 

Yes,  the  eight  principles  here  specified  by  the 
Apostle,  are  "  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit,"  and  have  their 
seat  in  tlie  soul;  while  the  things  which  constitute 
the  religion  of  the  Pharisee  are  merely  outward,  and 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  295 

natural ;  not  supernatural,  not  the  work,  not  the 
fruit,  of  the  Spirit.  And  as  he  has  nothing  but 
what  results  from  the  exercise  of  his  natural  poAvers, 
independent  of  this  peculiar  work  of  the  Spirit,  and 
equally  independent  of  the  atonement,  he  is  said  to 
"  exalt  himself,"  or  to  attempt  so  to  do.  Nor  does 
the  righteousness  of  the  Pharisee  include  any  one  of 
the  eight  particulars  here  specified  ;  he  is  absolutely 
destitute  of  Christian  faith,  courage,  knoivledge, 
temperance,  patience,  godliness,  brotherly  kindness, 
and  love.  Being  ignorant  of  God^s  righteousness, 
and  going  about  to  establish  his  own  righteousness,  he 
has  not  submitted  to  the  righteousness  of  God.  "  For 
Christ  is  the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness  to 
every  one  that  believeth.''^  Pharisaism  excludes 
alike,  the  Christian  doctrine,  the  Christian  experi- 
ence, and  the  Christian  x>ractice.  Hence  a  Pharisee, 
as  such,  has  no  hope,  and  is  without  God  in  the 
world.  If  the  Pharisee,  as  such,  can  make  good  his 
claim,  the  Bible  is  not  true ;  it  is  not  possible  to 
unite  Pharisaism  and  the  Bible  ;  he  ^vho  embraces 
the  one,  must  absolutely  reject  the  other :  the  more 
I  investigate,  the  more  I  become  convinced  of  the 
absolute  antagonism  of  these  two  systems.  Hence, 
as  I  attempt  to  develop  the  great  principles  of  the 
Christian  s^^stem,  I  find  Pharisaism  meeting  and 
opposing  me  at  every  step.  This  is  my  apology 
for  so  often  adverting  to  it ;  it  is  not  possible  to 
defend  the  one,  and  not  oppose  the  other. 

But,  although  all  the  above  particulars  are  in  the 
Christian,  and  are  produced  by  the  direct  agency 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  this  is  not  done  without  the  will- 


296  POWER   WITH    GOD   AND  YUTll    MEN. 

ing  co-operation  of  him  who  is  the  subject  of  this 
work  of  the  Spirit.  Indeed,  the  very  nature  of 
each  particular  implies  this.  But  this  willing  co- 
operation is  itself  the  result  of  free  grace,  by  which 
fallen  man  is  enabled,  though  not  forced,  to  co- 
operate with  the  Spirit  in  his  renewing  operations. 
And  the  reason  why  any  man  is  not  renewed,  or 
does  not  progress,  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that 
he  does  not  co-operate  With,  but  resists,  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Hence  the  charge,  "  Ye  do  always  resist 
the  Holy  Ghost ;  as  your  fathers  did,  so  do  ye." 
Hence,  too,  the  exhortation,  "  Work  out  your  own 
salvation  with  fear  and  trembling ;  for  it  is  God 
which  worketh  in  you  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good 
pleasure. "  Work,  for  God  works.  If  God  did  not 
work,  no  child  of  man  would  ever  work,  in  the 
sense  here  specified.  Nor  can  we  work  any  longer 
than  God  works.  The  Christian  work  is  one  of 
co-operation  with  God,  which  co-operation  is  itself 
the  result  of  free  grace.  We  may  well  sing, — 
"  0  !  to  grace  how  great  a  debtor." 

The  works  which  do  not  result  from  the  opera- 
tions of  the  Holy  Spirit,  St.  Paul  calls  "  the  works 
of  the  flesh."  Nothing  can  exceed  the  clearness 
and  force  with  which  this  Apostle  presents  this 
whole  subject,  in  the  fifth  chapter  of  his  Epistle  to 
the  Galatians.  And  the  principles  involved,  being 
of  such  vital  importance,  I  have  concluded  to  give 
the  entire  passage  in  this  connection. 

"  This  I  say  then  :  Walk  in  the  Spirit,  and  ye 
shall  not  fulfil  the  lust  of  the  flesh.  For  the  flesh 
lusteth  against  the   Spirit,  and  the  Spirit  against 


CHRISTIAN  PROORESSION.  29T 

the  flesh  ;  and  these  are  contrary  the  one  to  the 
other ;  so  that  ye  cannot  do  the  things  that  ye 
would.  But  if  ye  be  led  by  the  Spirit,  ye  are  not 
under  the  law.  Now  the  works  of  the  flesh  are 
manifest,  which  are  these — Adultery,  fornication, 
uncleanness,  lasciviousness,  idolatrj^,  witchcraft, 
hatred,  variance,  emulations,  wrath,  strife,  sedi- 
tions, heresies,  envyings,  murders,  drunkenness, 
revellings,  and  such  like — [for  this  is  only  a  sam- 
ple]— of  which  T  tell  you  before,  as  I  have  also 
told  you  in  time  past,  that  tliey  which  do  such 
things  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God." 

Observe,  not  only  are  these  the  legitimate 
"  works  of  the  flesh,"  of  "  the  natural  man,"  but 
t\\Qy  are  done  despite  the  teachings  and  influences 
of  the  Spirit,  despite  that  "  measure  of  grace  that 
is  given  to  every  man  to  profit  withal ;"  despite 
that  ''true  light  that  lighteth  every  man  that 
Cometh  into  the  world."  And  when  the  Spirit  and 
grace  of  God,  coming  to  him  through  the  atone- 
ment, succeed  in  checking  this  vile  wretch  in  his 
mad  career,  so  that  he  is  saved  from  outbreaking 
sins,  then,  forsooth,  he  gives  himself  credit  for  the 
wdiole,  turns  Pharisee,  and  claims  heaven  on  the 
principle  of  merit ;  pronounces  himself  meet  for, 
and  entitled  to  "an  inheritance  among  all  them 
that  are  sanctified;"  among  those  "who  have 
washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white  in  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb  I"  To  me,  this  seems  to  be  the 
highest  pitch  to  which  madness  and  wickedness  can 
be  carried.  And  this  is  Pharisaism  I  "  But  the 
fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joj^,  peace,  long-suffering, 


298     POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temperance ; 
against  such  there  is  no  law.  And  they  that  are 
Christ's  have  crucified  the  flesh,  with  the  affections 
and  lusts.  If  we  live  in  the  Spirit,  let  us  also  walk 
in  the  Spirit.  Let  us  not  be  desirous  of  vain-glory, 
provoking  one  another,  envjdng  one  another."  It 
is  b3^  the  life-giving  energy  of  the  Holy  Spirit  that 
the  dead  soul  is  first  quickened  into  life ;  and 
having  thus  lived  by  the  Spirit,  Paul  says,  "  let  us 
walk  by  the  Spirit."  Thus,  Christian  life  and 
Christian  progression  are,  alike,  the  result  of  the 
Spirit's  life-giving  and  life-increasing  influences. 
This  is  Christianity,  and  all  beside  "is  enmity 
against  God." 

But  the  Apostle  not  only  says  that  all  "  these 
things"  are  to  be  "in  you,"  but  that  they  are  to 
"abound;" — faith,  courage,  knowledge,  temper- 
ance, patience,  godliness,  brotherly  kindness,  and 
love  ;  all  in  the  soul,  and  each  in  its  place  ;  all  act- 
ing, and  acting  in  harmony.  Here  is  a  system, 
infinitely  more  glorious  than  the  Solar  System  ; 
here  is  harmonious  action,  more  glorious  than  the 
dance  of  the  spheres.  And  from  the  harmonious 
action  of  this  complete  system,  results  Christian 
progression,  glorious  progression ;  for  by  their 
mutual  action  they  necessarily  support  and  in- 
crease each  other.  Every  power  of  the  soul,  in  its 
action,  is  under  the  influence  of  its  appropriate 
grace ;  while  all  are  under  the  influence  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Yet  the  will  is  still  free,  and,  consequently, 
may  still  resist  any  or  all  of  these  influences,  or 
comply  with  any  or  all  of  them.     If  it  does  the 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  299 

latter,  action  and  progression  continue.  But  if  it 
does  the  former,  the  brake  is  on,  and  both  the 
action  and  the  progression  are  retarded  or  wholly'' 
stopped — while  a  very  different  action  is  intro- 
duced, resulting  in  retrogression,  as  far  as  it  ex- 
tends, for  the  brake  may  only  be  applied,  say,  to 
brotherl}^  kindness  ;  but,  hy  a  kind  of  S3^mpathy,  all 
the  active  powers  feel  the  shock,  and  are  more  or 
less  enfeebled  in  their  action.  But  so  far  as  the 
will  has  positively  forbidden  right  action,  there  is 
action  in  the  contrary  direction  ;  for  here  there  is 
no  standing  still — onward,  or  backward,  is  the  un- 
alterable law  with  regard  to  this  machine. 

"  For,"  says  the  Apostle,  "  if  these  things  be  in 
you,  and  abound,  they  make  you  that  ye  shall  neither 
be  barren  nor  unfruitful."  It  is  obvious  that  the 
words  "barren,"  and  ''unfruitful,"  are  of  S3'non3'- 
mous  import;  not  so  the  original  Greek  words 
which  the}'  are  designed  to  represent,  ovx  apytyvj 
ouSf  ttxapTtoDj,  The  latter  word,  akarpous,  means 
barren,  or  unfruitful ;  but  the  former,  argoics,  means 
unemployed,  inactive,  idle,  slothful.  It  is  so  ren- 
dered by  Parkhurst,  Greenfield,  Whitb^^,  Wesley, 
Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  and,  in  short,  all  whom  I  have 
consulted.  With  this  criticism  the.  Apostle's  words 
are  at  once  seen  to  be  accurate,  expressive,  and  im- 
portant, in  the  last  degree.  "  If  these  things  be  in 
you,  and  abound,  they  make  you  that  ye  shall 
neither  be  inactive  nor  unfruitful."  The  person  in 
whom  all  these  principles  are  in  lively  operation, 
and  abounding,  cannot  possibly  be  unemployed,  idle, 
slothful,  inactive.     To  say  he  can,  implies  a  positive 


300      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

contradiction.  You  might  as  well  talk  about  a  per- 
fect locomotive  being  inactive  with  a  full  head  of 
steam  on,  as  to  talk  about  such  a  man  being  inac- 
tive, or  idle.  What  the  Apostle  says,  is  strictly  and 
absolutely  true.  These  things  being  in  you,  and 
abounding,  they  make  you  that  ye  shall  not  be  idle, 
slothful,  inactive.  The  man  in  whom  all  these  prin- 
ciples are  in  harmonious  action,  must  move,  and 
move  in  the  right  direction  too.  The  harmonious 
action  of  faith,  courage,  knowledge,  temperance, 
patience,  godliness,  brotherly  kindness,  and  love, 
must  move  in  the  right  direction.  Love  guided  by 
knowledge  directs  to  its  proper  object  as  truly  as 
the  needle  points  to  the  pole.  The  same  is  true  of 
hrothei^ly  kindness,  courage,  and  godliness;  while  the 
impetuous  onward  rush  of  the  more  ardent  affec- 
tions are  tempered,  softened,  and  controlled  by  tem- 
perance and  jjatience.  Meantime,  the  whole  soul 
rests  upon  the  atonement  by  faith,  moving,  so  to 
speak,  as  upon  a  pivot,  while  in  holy  affection  she 
turns  to  every  object  that  legitimately  claims  her 
attention.  See  that  holy  Apostle  Paul,  for  example, 
as  he  flies  from  Jerusalem  round  by  lUyricum,  ex- 
claiming "  The  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us,  be- 
cause we  thus  judge,  that  if  one  died  for  all,  then 
were  all  dead."  Yet,  while  he  is  thus  fl3^ing  to  the 
rescue  of  Jew  and  Gentile,  barbarian,  Scythian,  bond 
and  free,  he  exclaims,  "  The  life  that  I  now  live  in 
the  flesh,  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  who 
loved  me,  and  gave  himself  for  me."  Again,  "  I  de- 
termined to  know  nothing  among  you,  save  Jesus 
Christ,  and  him  crucified."   Again,  "  The  law  of  the 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  301 

• 

Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesns,  hath  made  me  free 
from  the  law  of  sin  and  death."  And  yet  again 
"  ^ay,  in  all  these  things  we  are  more  than  con- 
querors, through  him  that  loved  us.  For  I  am  per- 
suaded, that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor 
principalities,  nor  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor 
things  to  come,  nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  an}^  other 
creature,  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the  love 
of  God  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord."  Thus 
does  his  soul  cleave  to  and  rest  in  Jesus  by  faith, 
while  in  holy  and  ardent  affection  he  files  to  the  help 
of  every  child  of  man.  Truly  here  is  action,  power- 
ful, irresistible  action;  and  that  in  the  right  direc- 
tion. I  say,  irresistible  action ;  for,  heroically  and 
triumphantly,  he  bids  defiance  to  all  the  opposing 
powers  that  were,  or  that  could  be  brought  against 
him;  exclaiming,  ''None  of  these  things  move  me, 
neither  count  I  my  life  dear  unto  me,  so  that  I  might 
finish  my  course  with  joy."  And  waxing  still  more 
bold  he  exclaims,  "  Who  shall  separate  us  from  the 
love  of  Christ  ?"  Then  specifying  every  conceivable 
evil  principle  and  agency,  such  as,  tribulation,  dis- 
tress, ^lersecution,  famine,  nakedness,  peril,  sword, 
and  numerous  others ;  he  sets  them  all  at  defiance, 
and  gives  to  all  worlds  the  most  convincing  proof 
that  his  boasting  is  not  in  vain,  b}^  going  right  for- 
ward in  the  face  of  ever}^  enemy,  and  in  the  midst 
of  perils  by  sea  and  by  land ;  shouting  as  he  goes, 
"  Thanks  be  unto  God  which  always  causeth  us  to 
triumph ;"  adding,  "  If  God  be  for  us,  who  can  be 
against  us  ?"  To  this  challenge  all  his  enemies 
were  silent,  hence  he  went  on  from  conquest  to  con- 
26 


302      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

quest,  till  he  finished  his  course  with  joy !  Nor  has 
the  challenge  been  taken  up  to  this  day,  though  the 
church  has  been  repeating  it  from  then  till  now. 
And  it  is  firmly  believed  that  it  never  will  be  taken 
up.  And,  what  is  still  more  strange,  many  a  poor 
saint,  not  worth  a  dollar  in  the  world,  has  repeated 
this  challenge,  and  man}*  such  are  still  repeating  it, 
and  hurling  it  right  in  the  face  of  all  their  enemies, 
but  as  yet  no  one  has  ever  dared  to  join  issue :  and 
we  confidently  believe  that  it  may  be  repeated  with 
perfect  safety  by  the  poorest  and  the  feeblest  of  all 
who  trust  in  Jesus.  And  it  is  quite  certain,  that 
having  these  things  in  them  and  abounding,  they 
will  not  be  inactive,  idle  or  slothful.  No,  they  icill 
act,  they  will  go  forward,  they  will  go  about  doing 
good,  regardless  of  every  threatening,  every  enemy, 
ever^^  danger.  If  their  duty  leads  them  to  Jerusa- 
lem, Corinth,  Rome,  or  Worms,  they  will  be  there, 
though  there  were  as  many  devils  there  as  there  are 
tiles  upon  the  house-tops.  Yes,  they  will  go,  despite 
every  threat,  if  they  have  in  them  faith,  courage, 
knowledge,  temperance,  patience,  godliness,  broth- 
erly kindness,  and  love,  abounding  according  to  the 
demands  of  the  occasion.  Nor  is  it  possible  even  to 
conceive  of  a  reason  why  they  should  not  proceed 
when  God  thus  calls  and  qualifies ;  and  pledges  his 
infinite  perfections  in  their  defence. 

Idleness,  inactivity,  or  slothfulness,  must  result 
from  want  of  faith,  courage,  or  love ;  or  because  all 
three  are  defective.  For  instance,  you  hear  a  man 
take  the  name  of  God  in  vain  ;  or  in  some  other 
way  sin  against  God  ;  and  you  know,  consequently, 


CHRISTIAN   PROGRESSION.  303 

that  he  is  in  danger  of  perishing :  yet  you  do  not 
reprove  or  warn  him,  though  God  has  commanded 
3^ou  to  do  so.  Now,  why  do  j^ou  not  ?  Evidently 
because  you  lack  courage,  or  love,  or  both :  if  you 
loved  him,  you  would  try  to  save  him,  regardless  of 
any  supposed  inconvenience  resulting  from  your 
efforts  to  that  end.  Would  a  mother,  on  beholding 
her  child  in  danger  of  perishing,  begin  to  count  up 
the  little  inconveniences  that  would  probably  result 
from  her  attempts  to  save  her  child  ?  No,  her  love 
would  move  her  to  instant  and  energetic  action,  not 
allowing  her  even  to  think  of  her  own  safety,  much 
less  probable  inconveniences.  Your  faith,  too,  is 
defective  in  such  instances  of  inaction :  you  do  not 
believe  God's  threatening,  either  as  it  regards  j'our 
own  disobedience,  or  your  neighbor's  daring  sins; 
or,  it  may  be,  you  do  not  believe  that  your  reproof 
or  warning  would  have  any  good  effect  upon  the 
offender.  In  either,  or  all  of  these  ways,  your  un- 
belief ma\'  prevent  your  acting  in  the  case.  But  if 
you  firmly  believed  both  the  command  and  the 
threatening,  3'ou  would  certainly  reprove  and  warn 
your  neighbor,  especially  if  j^ou  loved  him  as  you 
should.  Take  another  instance.  You  are  com- 
manded to  wait  upon  God  in  his  appointed  means  of 
grace,  say,  the  weekly  praj-er-meeting :  and  to  this 
command  also  he  adds  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises  ;  yet  you  absent  yourself  from  the  prayer- 
meeting,  and  that,  perhaps,  habitually.  Why  ? 
Evidently  because  you  lack  faith,  or  love,  or  both. 
You  do  not  love  to  be  there.  And  3^ou  do  not  love 
to  be  there  because  you  do  not  love  God,  or  his 


304  POWER    WITH    GOD    AND    WITH    MEN. 

cause,  or  his  people,  as  3^011  should.  And  3^our 
faith,  too,  is  defective  !  You  do  not  believe  God 
■would  meet  w^th  you  there  and  bless  you.  You 
say,  "  What  should  we  be  profited  if  we  should  pray 
unto  him  ?"  Neither  do  3'ou  believe  that  "  his  bless- 
ing maketh  rich."  If  you  did,  you  would  certainly 
be  there,  and  seek  his  blessing  earnestlj^,  knowing 
that  ''every  one  that  seeketh  findeth."  But  j^ou 
say,  it  may  be,  "  The  evening  is  cold,"  or,  "it  is 
wet,"  and  this,  you  think,  fully  accounts  for  your 
not  being  there.  But  I  do  not  think  so.  Allow  me 
to  ask  a  single  question.  Suppose  you  fully  believed 
that  you  would  receive  ten  dollars  by  going  that 
distance  at  the  same  hour,  and  that  you  would  lose 
that  sum  if  you  did  not  go,  would  you  go  ?  Yea, 
verily,  and  that  for  a  much  less  sum,  even  if  it  were 
both  colder  and  darker  than  it  is  on  praj^er-meeting 
night.  In  this  way  any  one  may  easily  judge  of  the 
strength  of  his  faith,  and  also  of  the  value  he 
places  upon  God's  blessing !  If  he  would  go  farther 
to  obtain  a  few  dollars,  than  he  would  go  to  obtain 
God's  blessing,  his  promised  blessing  in  his  own 
appointed  means,  it  is  evident  that  his  faith,  and  his 
love,  and  his  estimate  of  the  divine  blessing,  are 
very  small.  To  such  it  is,  that  God  says,  "  Go  to 
the  ant,  ye  sluggard."  Here,  too,  all  may  see,  who 
are  willing  to  see,  why  there  are  so  many  idlers  in 
matters  of  religion ;  they  lack  these  holy  active 
graces  of  the  Spirit,  for  if  these  things  were  in 
them,  and  abounding,  they  would  not,  they  could 
not,  be  idle.  O !  ye  idlers,  hear  ye  the  word  of  the 
Lord,  and  add  these  things  to  your  faith,  if  you 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  305 

have  any  faith,  and  if  3'ou  have  not,  repent  and 
believe  the  gospel,  otherwise  you  will  be  damned, 
for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it.  "  He 
that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned." 

The  Apostle  not  only  says,  "these  things  being  in 
you,  and  abounding,  make  you  that  ye  shall  not  be 
idle,"  but  he  adds,  "nor  unfruitful."  This,  too,  is 
strictly  and  necessarily  true.  Such  action  must  pro- 
duce fruit,  good  fruit,  and  much  of  it.  To  all  such 
actors,  God  himself  says,  "  Your  labor  shall  not  be  in 
vain  in  the  Lord."  Such  vigorous  plants  of  grace 
must,  and  do,  produce  fruit ;  "  some  thirty,  some 
sixty,  and  some  an  hundred  fold."  Nor  is  this  true 
in  regard  to  spiritual  things  only.  Such  persons  are 
"not  slothful  in  business,"  while  they  are  "fervent 
in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord."  While  these  princi- 
ples moved  Paul  to  fly  "from  Jerusalem  round  by 
Illyricum,"  for  the  glor3^  of  God  and  the  salvation 
of  souls ;  they  also  moved  him  to  make  tents,  when 
that  was  necessary ;  while  other  disciples  were 
moved  to  "go  a  fishing,"  when  that  was  necessary. 
And  Jesus  was  with  them  when  the}'^  were  fishing, 
as  well  as  when  they  were  preaching ;  yea,  and 
assisted  in  preparing  a  breakfast  for  those  fishermen, 
as  well  as  in  helping  them  to  catch  the  fish.  To  see 
Jesus  standing  by  that  "  fire  of  coals,"  by  the  sea 
of  Galilee,  "and  fish  laid  thereon,  and  bread,"  and 
to  hear  him  say,  "  Bring  of  the  fish  which  ye  have 
now  caught ;"  and,  finally,  "  Children,  come  and 
dine,"  is  to  my  mind  one  of  the  most  sublime,  in- 
structive, and  affecting  scenes  ever  witnessed  ;  while 
it  is  a  withering  rebuke  to  proud  idlers.  "  He  went 
26* 


306      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

about  doing  good,"  saying,  ''knowest  tliou  not  that  I 
must  be  about  my  Father's  business  ;"  I  must  work 
the  work  of  him  that  sent  me  ;"  "  My  meat  is  to  do 
the  will  of  him  that  sent  me."  He  fed  the  hungry 
disciples  by  the  sea-shore,  and  the  hungry  multitudes 
in  the  wilderness.  "He  went  about  all  the  cities  and 
villages,  teaching  in  their  synagogues,  and  preach- 
ing the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom,  and  healing  every 
sickness,  and  every  disease  among  the  people.  But, 
when  he  saw  the  multitudes,  he  was  moved  with 
compassion  on  them,  because  they  fainted,  and  were 
scattered  abroad,  as  sheep  having  no  shepherd. 
Then  saith  he  unto  his  disciples.  The  harvest  truly 
is  plenteous,  but  the  laborers  are  few.  Pray  ye, 
therefore,  the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  he  will  send 
forth  laborers  into  his  harvest."  Truly,  Jesus  was 
neither  idle  nor  unfruitful;  neither  are  his  disci- 
ples, for  they  are  influenced  by  the  very  same  prin- 
ciples that  influenced  their  Master ;  they  have  the 
mind  that  was  iri  Jesus,  every  one  of  them,  without 
a  single  exception  ;  for  "  if  any  man  have  not  the 
spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  his."  Hence,  they 
labor  as  he  did,  going  about  doing  good ;  to  the 
bodies  as  well  as  to  the  souls  of  their  fellows,  in 
every  possible  way ;  feeding  the  hungry  and  cloth- 
ing the  naked  ;  visiting  those  who  are  sick,  and 
those  who  are  in  prison ;  willing  to  cook  a  meal  of 
victuals,  make  a  tent,  or  go  a  fishing,  when  neces 
sary  ;  singing  as  they  go, — 

"Jesus,  confirm  my  heart's  desire, 

To  work,  and  speak,  and  think  for  thee ; 
Still  let  me  guard  the  holy  fire, 

And  still  stir  up  thy  gift  in  me. 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  30t 

"  Ready  for  all  thy  perfect  will, 
My  act  of  faith  and  love  repeat, 
Till  death  thy  endless  mercies  seal, 
And  make  the  sacrifice  complete." 

It  is  evident  that  a  country  inhabited  by  such  a 
people,  a  people  having  ''  these  things  in  them,  and 
abounding,''  must  prosper  every  way.  "The  wilder- 
ness and  the  solitary  place  shall  be  glad  for  them ; 
and  the  desert  shall  rejoice,  and  blossom  as  the 
rose.  It  shall  blossom  abundantly,  and  rejoice, 
even  with  joy  and  singing  :  the  glory  of  Lebanon 
shall  be  given  unto  it,  and  the  excellency  of  Carmel 
and  Sharon."  Where  such  people  dwell  for  a  given 
period,  hamlets,  towns,  and  cities,  will  rise  all  over 
the  land.  Here  "the  pastures  of  the  w^ilderness, 
and  the  little  hills  rejoice  on  every  side.  The 
pastures  are  clothed  with  flocks ;  the  valle3^s  also 
are  covered  with  corn;  they  shout  for  joy,  they  also 
sing."  Such  people  are  "like  a  tree  planted  by  the 
rivers  of  water,  that  bringeth  forth  his  fruit  in  his 
season,  their  leaf  also  shall  not  wither,  and  whatso- 
ever they  do  shall  prosper."  Being  influenced  by 
the  principles,  and  guided  by  the  knowledge  here 
specified,  they  cannot  be  either  inactive  or  unfruitful. 
This  is  the  godliness  that  "  is  profitable  unto  all 
things,  having  the  promise  of  the  life  that  now^  is, 
and  of  that  which  is  to  come."  They  "have  their 
fruit  unto  holiness,  and  the  end  everlasting  life." 
Such  a  people  are  emphatically  a  power  for  good  ; 
they  have  "power  with  God  and  with  men,"  and  they 
prevail.  "  They  turn  the  world  upside  down,"  and 
under  their  culture  the  wilderness  becomes  a  fruitful 


308     POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

field,  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  and  that  just  in 
proportion  as  these  things  are  in  them.  All  this  is 
confirmed  by  the  most  incontestable  facts  of  history. 
Weakness,  indolence,  and  unfruitfulness,  ever  have 
been,  and  now  are,  the  characteristics  of  the  people 
who  have  been,  or  now  are,  destitute  of  these 
principles.  If,  being  forced,  such  people  have  built 
pyramids,  or  other  monuments,  to  gratify  the  pride 
of  tyrants,  this  aff'ords  no  exception  to  the  rule:  so 
far  as  any  people  are  destitute  of  these  principles, 
they  are  indolent,  weak,  and  unfruitful ;  and  such  has 
ever  been  the  fact,  and  ever  will  be.  What  has 
paganism  done  for  this  country  ?  What  has  it  done 
for  any  country?  What  has  been  done  for  any 
country  by  those  religious  systems  which  were,  or 
are,  destitute  of  the  principles  here  specified  ?  The 
facts  of  history  aff'ord  but  one  answer  to  this 
question.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  equally  clear 
that  wherever  these  divine  principles  have  been  in 
any  people  under  the  whole  heaven,  thej^  have  been 
active,  powerful,  and  fruitful,  and  that  just  in  the 
proportion  that  these  things  were  in  them  and  were 
abounding.  0  how  marvellously  has  the  fisherman 
of  Galilee  seized  upon  all  the  great  principles  of 
action,  power,  and  fruitfulness  !  But  the  secret  is 
simply  this,  he  lorote  and  spoke  as  he  was  moved  by 
the  Holy  Ghost.  Had  it  not  been  so,  he  never  could 
have  declared,  in  a  few  words,  what  was  never 
known,  or  conceived,  much  less  taught,  by  the  wise 
men,  so  called,  of  Greece  and  Rome :  never  could 
have  said,  in  a  few  words,  more  than  was  ever  known 
by  any  uninspired   man,  however   learned,  either 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  309 

since  or  before.  How  abundantly  has  that  modern 
saying  been  admired  and  praised,  "  Knowledge  is 
power."  But  this  saying  sinks  into  insignificance 
when  compared  with  these  few  words  of  the  Apostle 
Peter  ;  yet  how  few  have  been  particularly  struck 
with  them !  The  fact  is,  mere  knowledge  is  not 
power;  to  be  a  power  it  must  be  properly  applied. 
The  devil  has  a  vast  amount  of  knowledge,  doubt- 
less, yet  he  has  no  power  for  good  :  absolutely  none. 
Whereas  the  man  who  has  the  knowledge  and  the 
other  particulars  specified  by  the  Apostle,  is  such  a 
power  that  he  triumphs  over  every  opposing  power  : 
he  "  has  power  with  God  and  with  men,  and  pre- 
vails ;"  and  triumphs  over  the  powers  of  darkness 
also  I 

But  observe,  for  it  is  a  point  of  great  importance, 
the  Apostle  connects  all  with  "the  knowledge  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Without  this  knowledge 
we  are  powerless,  whatever  else  we  may  have ;  but 
every  man  who  has  it,  is  a  power,  especially  if  he  is 
careful  to  add  to  it,  the  other  particulars  here 
specified  ;  then  he  will  "  neither  be  idle  nor  unfruit- 
ful in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  A 
man  may  l.e  idle  and  unfruitful  in  the  knowledge 
of  Plato,  Socrates,  and  other  men  of  fame ;  but  not 
"in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 
"  This  is  life  eternal,  that  they  might  know  thee  the 
only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  thou  hast 
sent."  To  have  life  and  power,  we  must  be  con- 
nected with  Jesus  Christ  in  the  wa}^  here  specified 
by  the  Apostle ;  for  "  Jesus  is  the  way,  the  truth, 
and  the  life ;"  and  "  all  power  is  given  unto  him  in 


310  POWER   WITH   GOD   AND  WITH   MEN. 

heaven  and  in  earth."  Hence  no  other  being  can 
give  either  life  or  power  to  fallen  man ;  for  no  other 
being  has  either  one  or  the  other  to  give.  In  view 
of  this  fact,  how  forcible  are  the  words  of  the  be- 
loved disciple : — "  This  is  the  true  God,  and  eternal 
life.  Little  children,  keep  yourselves  from  idols. 
Amen." 


CHAPTER  XIY. 

To  make  the  additions  here  specified,  we  must  give  all  dili- 
gence. "  These  things"  do  not  come  by  chance — Having 
seen  the  consequences  of  making  these  additions;  and 
abounding,  we  are  now  shown  the  awful  consequences  of 
not  doing  so — All  this  is  addressed  to  them  that  have 
obtained  Apostolic  faith — The  distinctive  characteristics  of 
those  who  do,  and  of  those  who  do  not,  make  these  additions 
— Some  thoughts  with  regard  to  those  who  have  backslid- 
den as  here  stated — The  infallibility  of  those  who  "  do  these 
things." 

To  make  the  additions  here  specified  we  must 
give  all  diligence.  These  things  do  not  come  to  us 
by  chance,  nor  are  they  forced  upon  us  by  any 
power,  either  human  or  divine.  I  maj^  be  courage- 
ous or  pusillanimous  ;  I  may  seek  and  find  knowl- 
edge, or  I  may  live  and  die  in  ignorance ;  I  may  be 
temperate  or  intemperate  ;  I  may  be  patient  or 
peevish ;  I  may  be  godly  or  ungodly  ;  I  may  be 
kind  or  unkind;  I  may  love  or  hate;  I  may  increase 
or  diminish  the  good  that  is  already  in  me  ;  I  may 
be  idle  or  active  ;  fruitful  or  unfruitful.  All  this  is 
matter  of  fact  and  experience.  These  are  among 
the  things  that  are  only  found  by  seeking  for  them. 
And  to  obtain  them  we  must  seek  with  diligence. 
Nor  will  ordinary  diligence  suffice  for  this  purpose. 

311 


312      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

Therefore  the  Apostle  exhorts  us  to  give  all  diligence. 
That  is,  I  suppose,  make  a  wise  use  of  all  the  knowl- 
edge and  grace  you  have,  and  use  all  the  means  in 
your  power  to  obtain  more.  Ask,  seek,  strive.  "Be 
instant  in  season  and  out  of  season."  Leave  no  stone 
unturned.  "  Buy  the  truth,  and  sell  it  not."  "  What 
thy  hand  findeth  to  do  do  it  with  thy  might."  0 
what  a  change  would  soon  be  witnessed  in  the  church 
if  all  her  members  would  faithfully  practice  these 
teachings  of  the  Apostle  1  and  what  a  change  would 
soon  be  witnessed  in  the  world,  as  well  as  in  the 
church !  Doubtless  M^e  would  soon  witness  such 
revolutions  as  were  witnessed  in  apostolic  times. 
But  alas  !  while  few  are  giving  all  diligence  to  ob- 
tain these  things,  they  are  multitudinous  who  are 
seeking  ritualistic  trumpery  and  other  carnal  grati- 
fications ;  while  others  are  so  indolent  and  useless, 
that  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  say  why  God  permits 
such  useless  lumber  to  remain  on  the  earth,  seeing 
they  are  only  a  burden  to  themselves  and  others ; 
mere  stumbling-blocks  over  which  others  stumble 
and  fall. 

Having  exhorted  us  to  add  these  things  and  to 
give  all  diligence  to  that  end  ;  and  having  shown 
the  happy  consequences  of  so  doing,  the  Apostle 
now  shows  the  consequences  of  not  doing  so  "But 
he  that  lacketh  these  things  is  blind,  and  cannot  see 
afar  off,  and  hath  forgotten  that  he  was  purged  from 
his  old  sins."  Such  are  the  consequences  of  not 
adding.  If  you  do  not  add,  3'ou  will  lose  what  you 
have  ;  if  you  do  not  progress  you  will  retrograde. 
This  is  evidently  the  teaching  of  the  Apostle  in  the 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  318 

passage  before  us.  And  in  view  of  this,  he  again 
urges  the  necessity  of  diligence.  "  Wherefore  the 
rather,  brethren,  give  diligence  to  make  3''our  calling 
and  election  sure:  for  if  ye  do  these  things  ye  shall 
never  fall."  If  you  add  these  things,  giving  all  dili- 
gence to  that  end :  if  you  have  all  these  things  in 
you,  and  all  abounding,  you  thus  "  make  your  call- 
ing and  election  sure,"  and  "shall  never  fall."  "But 
he  that  lacketh  these  things,"  that  is,  does  not  add 
them,  "is  blind,  and  cannot  see  afar  off,  and  hath 
forgotten  that  he  was  purged  from  his  old  sins." 

Now,  let  it  be  remembered,  that  the  Apostle 
addresses  all  this  to  them  that  have  obtained  like 
precious  faith  with  us  through  the  righteousness  of 
God  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ;"  and  then  still  more 
pointedly,  to  each  one  as  having  been  "purged  from 
his  old  sins."  Remember,  too,  that  none  but  those 
who  have  this  faith  can  make  these  additions,  for  it 
is  to  this  faith  that  all  these  things  are  added,  as  we 
formerly  showed.  It  follows,  that  this  very  indi- 
vidual, who  had  this  "precious  faith,"  and  had  been 
"purged  from  his  old  sins;"  "is  blind  and  cannot 
see  afar  off,  and  hath  forgotten  that  he  was  purged 
from  his  old  sins;"  and  all  this  is  in  consequence  of 
lacking  these  things;  and  he  lacks,  or  is  destitute  of 
these  things,  because  he  did  not  add  them ;  and  he 
did  not  add  them,  because  he  did  not  "  give  dili- 
gence" to  that  end.  In  a  word,  he  did  not  j^rogress, 
and  therefore  backslid.  Forward  or  backward  is 
the  fixed  and  unalterable  law  in  Christian  morals  I 

Now  let  us  more  carefully  notice  the  state  of  this 
backslider,  as  here  described  by  the  Apostle.     "  He 

21 


314      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

is  blind,  and  cannot  see  afar  off,  and  hath  forgotten 
that  he  was  purged  from  his  old  sins."  I  doubt 
whether  I  can  do  better  than  give  Dr.  Adam  Clarke's 
comment  upon  these  words ;  I  will  therefore  lay  it 
before  the  reader,  as  he  may  not  have  the  doctor's 
Commentary. 

"  Yerse  9.  B^it  he  that  lacketh  these  things.^  He, 
whether  Jew  or  Gentile,  who  professes  to  have  paith 
in  God,  and  has  not  added  to  that  faith  fortitude, 
knowledge,  temperance,  patience,  godliness,  brotherly 
kindness,  and  universal  love,  is  blind — his  under- 
standing is  darkened,  and  cannot  see  afar  off, 
^vuijia^ccv,  shutting  his  eyes  against  the  light,  winking, 
not  able  to  look  truth  in  the  face,  nor  to  behold  that 
God  whom  he  once  knew  was  reconciled  to  him : 
and  thus  it  appears  he  is  wilfully  blind,  and  haih 
forgotten  that  he  was  purged  from  his  old  sins,  has 
at  last,  through  his  non-improvement  of  the  grace 
which  he  received  from  God,  his  faith  ceasing  to 
work  by  love,  lost  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen  ; 
for,  having  grieved  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  not  showing 
forth  the  virtues  of  him  who  called  him  into  his 
marvellous  light,  he  has  lost  the  testimony  of  liis 
sonship ;  and  then,  darkness  and  hardness  having 
taken  place  of  ligJit  and  filial  confidence,  he  first 
calls  his  former  experience  into  doubt,  and  ques- 
tions whether  he  has  not  put  enthusiasm  in  place 
of  religion.  By  this  means  his  darkness  and  hard- 
ness increase,  his  memory  becomes  indistinct  and 
confused,  till  at  length  he  forgets  the  work  of  God 
on  his  soul,  next  denies  it,  and  at  last  asserts  that 
the  knowledge  of  salvation,  by  the  remission  of  sins, 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  315 

is  impossible,  that  no  man  can  be  saved  from 

sin  in  this  life.  Indeed,  some  go  so  far  as  to  deny 
the  Lord  that  bought  them ;  renounce  Jesus  Christ 
as  having  made  an  atonement  for  them  ;  and  finish 
their  career  of  apostacy  by  utterly  denying  his 
Godhead.  Many  cases  of  this  kind  have  I  known ; 
and  they  are  all  the  consequences  of  believers  not 
continuing  to  be  workers  together  with  God,  after 
they  had  experienced  his  pardoning  love." 

Unquestionably  the  doctor  has  seized  the  leading 
ideas  of  the  Apostle,  but  whether  he  has,  or  has 
not,  stated  the  exact  way  in  which  the  retrogression 
takes  place,  the  fact  that  it  has  taken  place,  or  that 
it  may  take  place,  and  that  to  the  extent  specified 
by  the  Apostle,  remains  indisputable.  Nor  can  the 
luay  in  which  the  apostacy  takes  place,  be  better 
stated  than  it  is  stated  b}^  the  same  inspired 
authority  that  states  the  fact  of  its  possibility : — If 
you  add  these  things,  if  they  are  in  you  and  abound, 
you  must  be  active,  and  fruitful ;  and  can  neither 
backslide  or  apostatize  ;  but  he  that  lacketh  these 
things  is  blind,  and  cannot  see  afar  off,  and  hath 
forgotten  that  he  was  puy^ged  from  his  old  sins^ 
This  is  the  sum  and  substance  of  the  Apostle's 
teaching.  And  the  state  here  described,  call  it 
that  of  an  apostate,  or  any  thing  else  you  please, 
is  certainly  an  awful  state :  and  it  is,  or  may  be, 
the  state  of  one  who  once  had  like  precious  faith 
with  the  Apostles,  and  had  been  once  purged  from 
his  old  sins.      These  are  the  facts  ! 

One    characteristic    of  unbelievers,  as   given   in 
Scripture,  is,  that  they  look  at  the  things  that  are 


316     POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

temporal,  the  things  that  belong  to  this  world  ; 
while  the  grand  characteristic  of  believers  is,  that 
they  look  at  the  things  that  are  spiritual  and  eter- 
nal. The  objects  and  rewards  of  faith,  are  repre- 
sented by  our  Apostle  as  being  "  far  off,"  so  far 
that  the  man  who  "  lacks  these  things"  cannot  see 
them :  and,  like  one  who  is  short-sighted,  and  who 
tries  to  see  a  distant  object,  that  his  neighbor 
speaks  of,  and  sees  clearly,  he  contracts  and  dilates 
his  eyes,  and  after  thus  squinting  and  trying  his 
best,  and  yet  failing  to  see  the  object,  he  finally 
concludes  there  is  no  such  object  to  be  seen,  that  it 
is  his  neighbor  that  is  mistaken  not  himself!  Just 
so  the  blind  man  spoken  of  by  Peter ;  blind  as  to 
the  objects  and  rewards  of  faith,  he  hears  others 
talk  about  these  things,  but  after  a  kind  of  squint- 
ing effort,  and  utterly  failing  to  see  them,  because 
they  are  far  off,  he  finally  concludes  there  are  no 
such  things,  and  settles  down  as  a  believer  in  all 
unbelief;  is  henceforth  content  to  confine  his  atten- 
tion to  those  things  which  he  can  see  with  such 
faculties  as  he  has ;  and  all  this  is  quite  natural  ; 
though  he  has  no  right  to  conclude  that  others  can- 
not see  distant  objects,  simply  because  he  cannot. 
The  blindness  here  spoken  of  by  the  Apostle,  is 
spoken  of  with  equal  distinctness  by  our  blessed 
Lord,  in  John  xiv,  16,  It.  "And  I  will  pray  the 
Father,  and  he  shall  give  you  another  Comforter, 
that  he  may  abide  with  yon  forever ;  even  the 
Spirit  of  truth  ;  whom  the  world  cannot  receive, 
because  it  seeth  him  not,  neither  knoweth  him :  but 
ye  know  him ;  for  he  dwelleth  with  you,  and  shall 


CHRISTIAN  PROGRESSION.  317 

be  in  you."  The  same  fact  is  thus  stated  by  Paul ; 
''  But  the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of 
the  Spirit  of  God  ;  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him ; 
neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritu- 
ally discerned."  Now,  the  man  of  whom  Peter 
speaks,  though  once  enlightened,  and  purged  from 
his  old  sins,  is  again  in  this  state,  and  is  so  for  the 
reasons  specified  by  the  Apostle.  If  the  world  can- 
not see  because  it  receiveth  not  the  Spirit,  neither 
can  this  man,  because  he  has  grieved  away  the 
Spirit.  The  reason  is  precisely  the  same  in  each 
case.  When  the  light  is  taken  away  or  extinguished, 
he  who  had  it  is  no  better  off  than  he  who  never 
had  it,  unless  so  far  as  he  may  remember  what  he 
once  saw :  but  the  memory  had  also  suffered,  in  the 
man  of  whom  Peter  speaks,  so  that  he  had  "  for- 
gotten" what  he  once  knew ;  he  had  both  lost  sight 
of,  and  forgotten,  what  he  once  knew  and  saw.  We 
may  not  be  able  to  understand  these  mental  and 
moral  phenomena,  but  the  fact  is  indisputable, 
being  matter  of  observation  and  experience. 

But,  bad  as  is  the  case  here  described  by  the 
Apostle,  I  am  not  prepared  to  say  that  it  is  hope" 
less.  Formerly,  when  he  was  both  blind  and  dead, 
Jesus  gave  him  eyes  to  see,  and  quickened  him  into 
life,  and  he  may  be  able  to  do  so  again.  But,  to  tiiis 
end,  he  must  cry,  like  blind  Bartimeus,  "  Jesus,  thou 
son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me."  The  Holy  Spirit 
may  still  be  given  to  him  if  he  will  ask  him  ;  and  in 
his  light,  and  under  his  life-giving  influences^  he  may 
yet  "remember  from  whence  he  has  fallen,  and  re- 
pent and  do  his  first  works."  And  unless  he  do  so, 
21* 


318  POWER   WITH   GOD    AND    WITH    MEN. 

it  is  quite  certain  that  he  will  perish.  True,  his« 
last  state  may  be  worse  than  the  first ;  but  it  is 
equally  true  that  the  dead  may  still  hear  the  voice 
of  the  Son  of  God ;  equally  true  that  Jesus  still 
gives  eyesight  to  the  blind,  hearing  to  the  deaf, 
utterance  to  the  dumb,  and  feet  to  the  lame.  Yea, 
he  still  cleanses  the  lepers,  and  raises  the  dead. 
And  even  now,  he  cries,  long  and  loud,  to  dead 
Laodiceans ;  and  knocks  at  the  closed  door,  in- 
treating  an  entrance,  and  promising  that  he  will 
come  in  and  sup  with  them,  if  they  will  onlj^  grant 
him  an  entrance.  O,  let  us  not  limit  the  Most 
High :  for  he  is  still  "  the  Lord,  the  Lord  God, 
gracious  and  merciful,  long-suffering,  and  abundant 
in  goodness  and  in  truth,  forgiving  iniquity,  and 
transgression,  and  sin."  But  if  such  backsliders 
will  still  persist  in  their  own  ways,  still  persist  in 
closing  their  eyes,  their  ears,  and  their  hearts ;  the 
time  will  certainl}^  come,  when  even  this  merciful 
God  will  cease  to  be  gracious,  when  his  mercy  shall 
be  clean  gone,  when  he  shall  even  swear  in  his 
wrath  that  they  shall  not  enter  his  rest.  O  ye  blind 
and  dead,  twice  dead,  Laodicean  backsliders,  cry, 
QYj  mightily  to  God,  and  give  him  no  rest  till  he 
restore  unto  you  the  joys  of  his  salvation.  And  if 
you  are  again  saved  by  grace  through  faith,  see  to 
it  that  you  "add  to  j^our  faith  courage,  and  to  cour- 
age knowledge,  and  to  knowledge  temperance,  and 
to  temperance  patience,  and  to  patience  godliness, 
and  to  godliness  brotherly  kindness,  and  to 
brothcrlv  kindness   love."     And  see  that  all  "these 


CHRISTIAN   PROGRESSION.  319 

tnings"  are  not  only  "  in  you,"  but  that  they  abound. 
Then  3'e  shall  no  longer  be  either  idle  or  unfruitful. 
"  Wherefore,  "  ssljs  the  Apostle,  in  view  of  the 
stupendous  interests  that  are  pending,  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  "  some,  concerning  faith  have  made  ship- 
wreck," in  view  of  the  awful  danger  of  your  coming 
short  of  heaven  and  perishing  forever;  "wherefore," 
in  view  of  all  these  considerations,  and  many  others, 
not  to  be  expressed,  or  even  conceived  ;  "  Wherefore 
the  rather,  brethren,  give  diligence  to  make  j'our 
calling  and  election  sure :  for  if  ye  do  these  things 
ye  shall  never  fall."  "  Give  diligence,"  "  add  these 
things ;"  have  them  "  in  you,"  and  have  them 
abounding,  and  "ye  shall  never  fall."  The  same 
truth  is  declared  in  the  fifteenth  Psalm,  "  He  that 
doeth  these  things  shall  never  be  moved."  No, 
never.  "  He  shall  be  as  Mount  Zion,  which  cannot 
be  moved."  Suns,  moons,  and  stars  may,  yea,  and 
will  fall:  but  "He  that  doeth  these  things  shall 
never  be  moved,"  much  less  fall  I  Such  believing, 
courageous,  progressing  Christians,  can,  yea,  and  do 
sing:  "  God  is  our  refuge  and  strength,  a  very  pre- 
sent help  in  trouble.  Therefore  will  not  we  fear, 
though  the  earth  be  removed,  [mark  their  faith  and 
courage,]  and  though  the  mountains  be  carried  into 
the  midst  of  sea ;  though  the  waters  thereof  roar 
and  be  troubled,  though  the  mountains  shake  with 
the  swelling  thereof.  Selah."  No,  for  being  thus 
faithful,  they  have  the  blessed  assurance,  "that 
neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities, 
nor  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come, 
nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  an}'  other  creature,  shall 


320      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

be  able  to  separate  them  from  the  love  of  G  ocl  which 
is  in  Christ  Jesus,  our  Lord."  "  Here  is  the  pa- 
tience of  the  saints,"  and  here  is  the  infallibility  of 
the  saints ;  and  in  this  infallibility  I  believe  with 
my  whole  soul.  If  ye  do  these  things  ye  shall 
NEVER  FALL.  Selah.  ''  The  mouth  of  the  Lord 
hath  spoken  it."  And  though  men  may  gainsay  it, 
neither  man  nor  devil  can  unsay  it. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

The  final  result  of  the  progression — An  "abundant  entrance 
into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ" — These  wonderful  words  and  thoughts  could  only 
come  to  us  by  inspiration — An  attempt  to  explain  the  word 
^xuJ'ictc — The  question,  shall  all  who  finally  reach  heaven, 
have  this  abundant  entrance  ministered  unto  them,  is  exam- 
ined, and  answered  in  the  negative — It  is  again  shown  why 
some  are  a  power,  while  others  are  not — Even  for  the  same 
reason  that  the  glorified  shine  as  stars  of  diflTerent  magni- 
tudes— The  word  of  God  holds  out  no  encouragement,  no 
reward,  to  idleness. 

For  so  an  entrance  shall  be  ministered  unto  you 
abundantly  into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our 
Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ."  Such  is  the  issue 
to  which  the  Apostle  conducts  this  glorious  Christian 
progression.  He  conducts  his  conquering  hero  to 
a  KINGDOM,  an  "  everlasting  kingdom  ;"  and  leaves 
him  in  quiet,  undisputed,  indisputable,  and  eternal 
possession  of  it.  The  words  with  which  the  Apostle 
concludes  this  glorious  progression,  and  the  ideas 
which  they  are  employed  to  express,  are  alike 
marvellous.  All  attempts  to  improve  the  language, 
or  swell  the  ideas,  must  prove  a  failure.  This  maj'' 
be  seen  in  the  attempts  which  commentators  have 
made  to  this  end.  Mr.  Wesley  on  the  place,  says, 
"Ye  shall  go  in  full  triumph  to  glory."     Doctor 

321 


322      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

Doddridge  says,  "Ye  shall  be  received  into  it  with 
circumstances  of  solemn  pomp  and  distinguished 
honor."  Dr.  Clark  says,  "An  abundant,  free, 
honorable,  and  triumphant  entrance  shall  be  min- 
istered to  you  into  the  everlasting  kingdom.  "This 
is  very  well,  and  probably  the  best  that  can  be  said, 
if  the  words  of  the  Apostle  be  at  all  departed  from. 
But  it  is  easy  to  see  that  all  such  attempts  fall  im- 
measurably below  the  original. 

While  we  would  not  attempt  to  improve,  or  in 
any  way  change,  a  single  word  in  this  truly  wonder- 
ful conclusion,  we  may  be  permitted  to  call  special 
attention  to  the  marvellously  expressive  words  which 
the  Apostle  employs,  and  which  are  well  translated 
in  the  common  version. 

Observe  then,  the  progression  of  which  the 
Apostle  has  been  speaking  is  represented  as  termi- 
nating in  a  KINGDOM ;  and  the  triumphant  hero  is 
represented  as  now  entering  into  this  kingdom  'for 
the  first  time.  The  kingdom  is  that  of  "  our  Lord 
and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ."  Hence,  the  entrance 
into  it  is  said  to  be  ministered  unto  you,  not  by 
ministering  angels,  but  by  the  king  himself,  the 
Lord  Jesus,  who  is  "the  king  eternal,  immortal,  in- 
visible," *' the  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords." 
He  does  not  enter  into  his  kingdom  by  ancestral 
right,  nor  by  right  of  conquest,  nor  by  any  other 
right,  save  that  which  is  derived  from  the  atone- 
ment of  Jesus  Christ,  whose  is  the  kingdom.  Hence 
the  entrance  is  ministered  as  the  gift  of  grace,  to 
the  finally  faithful.  The  same  truth  is  thus  ex- 
pressed  by  the  Apostle  Paul. — "  I  have  fought  a 


CHRISTIAN   PROGRESSION.  323 

good  figlit,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept 
the  faith:  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a 
crown  of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord,  the  right- 
eous judge,  shall  give  me  at  that  day :  and  not  to 
me  onl}^,  but  unto  all  them  also  that  love  his  ap- 
pearing." Thus  it  is  that  Jesus  is  "the  author  and 
finisher  of  our  faith  ;"  he  lifts  the  believer  out  of 
the  horrible  {At,  sets  his  feet  upon  the  rock,  estab- 
lishes his  goings,  supports,  defends  and  leads  him 
throughout  the  entire  pi^ogreiision :  and,  finally, 
raises  him  to  participate  in  his  own  throne  and 
kingdom,  placing  the  crown  upon  his  head  with 
his  own  hand.  And  the  crown  and  kingdom  thus 
graciously  bestowed,  can  never  be  alienated  either 
by  fraud  or  force  :  the  parties  to  whom  the  entrance 
is  thus  ministei^ed,  "shall  reign  forever  and  ever." 
Thus  it  is  that  Jesus  "  saves  to  the  uttermost." 
And  all,  from  first  to  last,  is  the  gift  of  grace, 
"through  the  righteousness  of  our  God  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ."  0  how  wonderful  the  words,  and  how 
glorious  the  thouglits,  that  God  here  proclaims  to 
us  from  the  lips  of  the  humble  fisherman  of  Galilee ! 
Short  of  insjjiration  no  human  mind  could  originate 
these  sublime  conceptions,  nor  is  it  possible  for  hu- 
man lips  to  express  them  as  they  are  here  expressed, 
till  first  touched  with  a  live  coal  from  the  heavenly 
altar.  Here  the  progressive  life  of  the  Christian 
is  delinated  with  infallible  accuracy  from  its  com- 
mencement to  its  consummation  ;  and  that  consum- 
mation is  the  gracious  bestowment  of  an  everlast- 
ing kingdom,  even  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  who  with  his  own  hand  places 


824      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

the  crown  upon  the  victor's  head,  and  shares  with 
him  his  own  throne  and  kingdom.  To  express  all 
this  Peter  says,  ''  An  entrance  shall  be  ministered 
unto  you  abundantly."  The  word  Tt-kcyviioi^,  here 
translated  abundantly,  is  very  significant :  it  is  used 
to  express  the  greatest  abundance  of  riches,  both 
temporal  and  spiritual.  Hence,  in  Eph.  ii.  4,  it  is 
used  to  express  the  abounding  mercy  of  God.  And 
in  2.  Cor.  viii.  9,  it  is  used  to  express  the  eternal 
and  inefiable  dignity,  glor^^  and  felicity  of  Christ 
before  his  incarnation.  See  also  Col.  iii.  16,  Titus 
iii.  6,  and  Rev.  ii.  9,  where  the  same  word  occurs. 

But  while  we  make  this  feeble  attempt  to  assist 
the  reader  to  understand  these  inspired  and  truly 
glorious  words,  we  are  more  delighted  when  we 
read  them  just  as  they  stand  in  the  common  text. 
Nor  are  we  satisfied  to  close  our  remarks  with  any 
other  words.  Hence  we  quote  them  again,  that  the 
reader  may  repeat  them,  and  dwell  upon  them,  till 
filled  with  wonder  and  ravished  with  delight.  Hear 
them,  read  them,  and  dwell  upon  them,  ye  progress- 
ing Christians  ;  and  mark  the  end  of  this  glorious 
Christian  progress — "  For  so  an  entrance  shall  be 
ministered  unto  you  abundantly  into  the  everlast- 
ing kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ."     Amen,  and  Amen. 

Thus  let  the  pilgrim's  journey  end. 

Thuii,  O  my  Saviour,  brother,  friend, 
Receive  me  to  thy  breast. 

Onward  I  onward  I  ye  progressing  Christians ; 
"  Looking  for  that  blessed  hope,  and  the  glorious 
appearing  of  the  great  God  and  our  Saviour  Jesus 


CHRISTIAN   PROGRESSION.  325 

Christ."  And  to  this  end,  "  Let  us  la}^  aside  every 
weight,  and  the  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset  us, 
and  let  us  run  with  patience  the  race  that  is  set 
before  us,  looking  unto  Jesus,  the  author  and 
finisher  of  our  faith;  who,  for  the  joy  that  was  set 
before  him,  endured  the  cross,  despising  the  shame, 
and  is  set  down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of 
God." 

And  let  all  who  thus  journey,  sing  as  they  go, — 

"  Who  suffer  with  our  Master  here, 
We  shall  before  his  face  appear  ; 

And  by  his  side  sit  down ; 
To  patient  faith  the  prize  is  sure ; 
And  all  that  to  the  end  endure 

The  cross,  shall  wear  the  crown. 

"  Thrice  blessed,  bliss-inspiring  hope  ! 
It  lifts  the  fainting  spirits  up  ; 

It  brings  to  life  the  dead  ; 
Our  conflicts  here  shall  soon  be  past, 
And  you  and  I  ascend  at  last, 

Triumphant,  with  our  head. 

"  That  great,  mysterious  Deity, 
We  soon  with  open  face  shall  see ; 

The  beatific  sight 
Shall  fill  the  heavenly  courts  with  praise, 
And  wide  diffuse  the  golden  blaze 

Of  everlasting  light." 

Just  here,  a  thought  arises,  which  we  think  de- 
mands a  moment's  notice.  Will  all  those  who 
finally  reach  heaven,  have  ministered  to  them  the 
abundant  entrance  of  which  the  Apostle  here 
speaks  ?  We  do  not  hesitate  to  answer  this  ques- 
tion in  the  negative  ;  for  this  abundant  entrance  is 
28 


326     POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

the  termination,  and  the  reward,  of  the  progression* 
here  specified.  But  it  is  certain  that  many,  through 
the  abounding  grace  of  God,  will  finally  reach 
heaven,  though  they  did  not  progress  as  here  speci- 
fied. Multitudes  of  children,  for  instance,  who 
were  never  capable  of  this  progression,  are,  never- 
theless, saved  in  heaven  through  the  atonement. 
And  multitudes,  we  trust,  after  a  life  of  sin,  repent, 
fly  to  Jesus,  and  are  finally  saved,  as  it  were,  at  the 
eleventh  hour.  Now  these  cannot  be  said  to  have 
made  any  progress,  much  less  the  progress  here 
specified  ;  hence,  they  cannot  have  ministered  to 
them  the  abundant  entrance  of  which  the  Apostle 
speaks,  and  which  he  promises  to  those  who  thus 
progress,  and  to  those  only.  It  is,  in  our  judg- 
ment, folly  to  suppose,  for  instance,  that  the  thief, 
who  repented  and  died  upon  the  cross  ;  and  Paul, 
who  fought  a  good  fight,  finished  his  course,  and 
kept  the  faith  ;  shall  have  the  same  entrance  min- 
istered unto  them  into  the  everlasting  kingdom,  and 
participate  alike  in  the  same  glory.  No,  they  will 
most  assuredly  difier,  even  as  one  star  ditfereth 
from  another  star  in  glory.  The  diff'erence  which 
distinguished  them  in  this  life,  will  equally  dis- 
tinguish them  in  that  which  is  to  come.  Those  who 
are  distinguished  by  Christian  progression  here, 
and  by  corresponding  moral  power,  will  be  equally 
distinguished  by  their  glory  hereafter.  When  John 
was  permitted  to  look  into  heaven,  he  marked  this 
distinction,  and  has  made  a  faithful  record  of  it  in 
his  book  of  Revelations.  In  the  seventh  chapter, 
he  tells  us  of  a  certain  number,  who  were  nearest 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  321 

to  the  throne ;  and  being  struck  with  something  pe- 
culiar in  their  appearance,  as  well  as  with  the  fact 
that  they  were  nearest  to  the  throne,  he  inquired, 
or  "  one  of  the  elders"  started  the  question  :  "What 
are  these,  which  are  arrayed  in  white  robes  ?  and 
whence  came  they  ?"  To  this  inquiry  the  following 
answer  was  given.  "  These  are  they  which  came 
out  of  great  tribulation,  and  have  washed  their 
robes,  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb.  Therefore  are  they  before  the  throne  of 
God,  and  serve  him  day  and  night  in  his  temple  ; 
and  he  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  shall  dwell  among 
them.  They  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither  thirst 
any  more  ;  neither  shall  the  sun  light  on  them,  nor 
any  heat.  For  the  Lamb  which  is  in  the  midst  of 
the  throne  shall  feed  them,  and  shall  lead  them  unto 
living  fountains  of  water:  and  God  shall  wipe 
away  all  tears  from  their  eyes."  And  in  the  four- 
teenth chapter,  he  tells  us  of  a  certain  number  of 
exalted  spirits  who  "  sung  as  it  were  a  new  song 
before  the  throne,  and  before  the  four  beasts,  and 
the  elders :  and  no  man  could  learn  that  song  but 
the  hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand,  which 
were  redeemed  from  the  earth.  These  are  they 
which  were  not  defiled  with  women ;  for  they  are 
virgins.  These  are  they  which  follow  the  Lamb 
whithersoever  he  goeth.  These  were  redeemed 
from  among  men,  being  the  first-fruits  unto  God 
and  the  Lamb.  And  in  their  mouth  was  found  no 
guile :  for  they  are  without  fault  before  the  throne 
of  God." 

Now,  we  do  not  pretend  to  point  out  the  exact 


328  POWER  WITH   GOD   AND   WITH    MEN. 

difference  between  these  and  other  happy  spirits  in 
heaven,  it  is  sufficient  for  our  present  purpose  to 
call  attention  to  the  fact,  that  there  is  a  difference, 
a  great  difference,  and  also,  to  the  fact,  that  the 
glory  which  distinguishes  them  in  heaven,  is  con- 
nected with  the  peculiar  piety  and  sufferings  which 
distinguished  them  upon  earth. — ''  They  came  up 
out  of  great  tribulation,"  etc.,  etc.  ''Therefore  are 
the}^  before  the  throne,"  etc.,  etc.  These  are  the 
ideas  that  Charles  Wesley  develops  in  the  following 
beautiful  hymn : — 

"  Who  are  these  array'd  in  white, 

Brighter  than  the  noon-day  sun  ? 
Foremost  op  the  sons  op  light: 

Nearest  the  eternal  throne  ? 
These  are  they  that  bore  the  cross  ; 

Nobly  por  their  master  stood  ; 
Supf'rers  in  his  righteous  cause  ; 

FolVwers  of  the  dying  God. 
Out  of  great  distress  they  came  : 

Washed  their  robes,  by  faith,  below, 
In  the  Blood  of  yonder  Lamb, — 

Blood  that  washes  white  as  snow ; 
Therefore  are  they  next  the  throne; 

Serve  their  Maker  day  and  night ; 

God  resides  among  his  own, 
God  doth  in  his  saints  delight." 

The  poet  has  seized  the  grand  points  of  the  argu- 
ment as  marked  in  the  text;  and  to  fix  attention 
upon  these  points  I  have  caused  some  of  the  words 
to  be  printed  in  capitals.  They  nobly  stood  for 
their  Master,  they  suffered  in  his  righteous  cause, 
they  bore  the  cr^oss,  they  came  up  out  of  great  tribu- 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  329 

lation;  therefore,  they  are  foremost  of  the  sons  of 
light,  nearest  the  eternal  throne,  brighter  than  the 
noon-day  sun  !  "  And  they  sung  a  new  song  before 
the  throne,  and  before  the  four  living  creatures, 
and  the  elders  ;  and  no  man  could  learn  that  song 
but  the  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand."  The 
particulars  by  which  they  were  distingushed  on 
earth,  and  those  by  which  they  are  distinguished  in 
heaven,  and  the  fact  that  the  latter  are  gifts  of 
grace  in  view  of  the  former,  are  so  clearly  marked 
by  the  inspired  penman,  and  by  the  poet  in  the 
above  verses,  that  further  remarks  are  unnecessary. 
But  if  any  doubts  should  still  remain,  the  following 
declaration  of  the  great  Judge  must  forever  remove 
them  : — "  Behold,  I  come  quickly  ;  and  my  reward 
is  with  me,  to  give  every  man  according  as  his 
work  shall  be."  Even  in  this  world  the  gifts  of 
grace  are  bestowed  according  to  the  improvement 
of  those  who  are  the  recipients  of  them  ;  and  in  the 
next  world,  the  rewards  of  grace  will  be  propor- 
tioned according  to  that  improvement.  To  him 
that  gained  ten  pounds  the  judge  will  say,  "  Well 
done,  good  servant,  because  thou  hast  been  faithful 
in  a  very  little,  be  thou  governor  over  ten  cities." 
And  to  him  that  gained  five  pounds,  he  will  say, 
"  Be  thou  also  over  five  cities."  This  is  clearlj'-  the 
teaching  of  the  Bible  with  regard  to  the  gifts  of 
grace,  both  here  and  hereafter.  Nothing,  of  course, 
is  merited ;  "  for  what  hast  thou  that  thou  didst  not 
receive  ?"  Yet,  God  bestows  or  withholds  certain 
gifts  according  as  we  do,  or  do  not,  use  those 
already  bestowed. 

28* 


330     POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

And  here,  too,  we  see  why  some  men  are  a  power, 
while  others  are  not : — "  The  manifestation  of  the 
Spirit  is  given  to  every  man  to  profit  withal ;"  and 
to  such  as  make  a  good  use  of  the  grace  already 
given,  the  promise  is,  "  he  shall  have  more  abun- 
dance ;"  while  from  another  "  shall  be  taken  away 
even  that  which  he  hath,"  in  consequence  of  his  un- 
faithfulness to  the  grace  given.  Hence  the  reason 
why  the  one  is  a  power,  and  the  other  powerless,  is 
alike  obvious,  rational,  and  scriptural.  It  is  alike 
unscriptural,  and  irrational,  to  suppose  that  those 
who  "  dwell  in  ceiled  houses,  that  lie  upon  beds  of 
ivory,  and  stretch  themselves  upon  their  couches, 
and  eat  the  lambs  out  of  the  flock,  and  the  calves 
out  of  the  midst  of  the  stall ;  that  chant  to  the 
sound  of  the  viol,  that  drink  wine  in  bowls,  and 
anoint  themselves  with  chief  ointments ;"  should  be 
such  a  power  as  were  the  Wesleys  and  Whitefield, 
who  flew  from  city  to  city,  and  from  village  to  vil- 
lage, preaching  the  gospel.  Or  travelling  from 
common  to  common,  as  did  John  Wesley  and  John 
Nelson  in  Cornwal,  preaching  Jesus  to  the  neglect- 
ed and  perishing  multitudes,  «,nd  supporting  them- 
selves, occasionally,  with  blackberries  which  they 
plucked  by  the  waj^'side,  and  at  night  sleeping  on 
the  floor  of  some  humble  cot.  Nelson  having  Bur- 
kett's  Notes  for  his  pillow,  while  he  gave  Wesley 
his  coat,  and  upon  that  coat  the  Fellow  of  Lincoln 
College,  Oxford,  reposed  his  weary  head  as  he  slept 
upon  the  floor  of  that  cot  in  the  wilderness.  Blessed 
men : — 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  331 

"  That  bumble  cot  upon  the  wild, 
That  stone  beneath  the  tree, 
And  souls  to  heaven's  love  reconciled, — • 
These  are  enough  for  thee." 

And,  remember,  these  holy  men  continued  thus 
to  labor,  till,  one  bj^  one,  in  a  good  old  age,  they 
yielded  up  the  ghost,  and  were  gathered  to  their 
fathers ; — 

"  Their  bodies  with  their  charge  laid  down, 
And  ceased  at  once  to  work  and  live." 

Such  are  they  to  whom  "  an  entrance  shall  be 
ministered  abundantly,  into  the  everlasting  kingdom 
of  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ."  These 
are  they  who  "lay  up  treasure  in  heaven,  where 
moth  and  rust  do  not  corrupt,  and  where  thieves  do 
not  break  through  nor  steal."  These  are  they  who 
"  rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do  follow 
them."  These  are  they  who,  having  turned  many  to 
righteous7iess,  shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the 
firmament,  and  as  the  stars  forever  and  ever.  0  let 
not  the  slothful  Christian,  if  there  be  such  a  being, 
or  the  old  sinner,  though  finally  saved,  suppose  that 
they  shall  finally  share  in  these  glorious  rewards  of 
grace  which  only  belong  to  the  faithful  servants 
who  progress  to  the  extent  specified  by  the  Apostle 
in  the  Scripture  which  we  have  been  attempting  to 
explain.  Such  expectations  are  unscriptural,  and 
can  never  be  realized.  No,  the  Scriptures  hold  out 
no  encouragement,  no  reward,  to  idleness  or  in- 
dolence.     It   is    to   the   faithful,   the   progressing 


332      POWER  WITH  GOD  AND  WITH  MEN. 

Christian,  that  the  "  abundant  entrance,"  the  "  ex- 
ceeding and  eternal  weight  of  glory,"  is  promised. 
Arise,  then,  ye  careless  ones,  and  "  add  to  your  faith, 
courage  ;  and  to  courage,  knowledge  ;  and  to  know- 
ledge, temperance;  and  to  temperance,  patience ;  and 
to  patience,  godliness ;  and  to  godliness,  brotherly 
kindness;  and  to  brotherly  kindness,  love."  And 
"these  things  being  in  you,"  see  that  they  abound, 
and  that  more  and  more  ;  so  that  ye  shall  alwa3^s 
be  exceeding  your  former  self;  "growing  up  into 
Christ,  your  living  head  in  all  things."  O  ye 
children  of  God,  arise  in  good  earnest,  and  "press 
toward  the  mark  for  the  prize." 

"  Soldiers  of  Christ,  arise, 

And  put  your  armor  on, 
Strong  in  the  strength  which  God  supplies 

Through  his  eternal  Son ; 
Strong  in  the  Lord  of  Hosts, 

And  in  his  mighty  power, 
Who  in  the  strength  of  Jesus  trusts, 

Is  more  than  conqueror. 

"  Stand  then  in  his  great  might, 

With  all  his  strength  endued  ; 
But  take,  to  arm  you  for  the  fight, 

The  panoply  of  God  : 
That  having  all  things  done, 

And  all  your  conflicts  past, 
Ye  may  o'ercome,  through  Christ  alone. 

And  stand  entire  at  last." 

Such  is  Christian  progression ;  and  such  is  its 
glorious  consummation.  And  to  all  his  people  God 
says,  as  he  said  to  Daniel,  "  Go  thou  thy  way  till 


CHRISTIAN    PROGRESSION.  333 

the  end  be  :  for  thou  shalt  rest,  and  stand  in  thy  lot 
at  the  end  of  the  days."     Amen,  and  Amen. 

"  Full  of  immortal  hope, 

We  urge  the  restless  strife. 
And  hasten  to  be  swallow'd  up 
Of  everlasting  life. 

"Lord,  let  us  put  on  thee 
In  perfect  holiness  ; 
And  rise  prepared  thy  face  to  see, 
Thy  bright,  unclouded  face. 

"  Thy  grace  with  glory  crown. 
Who  hast  the  earnest  given  ; 
And  then  triumphantly  come  down, 
And  take  us  up  to  heaven." 

"  Blessed  are  they  that  do  his  commandments, 
that  they  may  have  right  to  the  tree  of  life,  and 
may  enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the  city." 
Amen. 


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